Operation Drishti: Armed Forces Medical Services Successfully Concludes Kashmir Phase With Major Eye Surgery Camps
Distilled Policy Brief
- Armed Forces Medical Services successfully completed the Kashmir phase of 'Operation Drishti' by conducting 364 vision-restoring eye surgeries across two major camps in Tangdhar and Srinagar on September 30, 2026.
- Prior to the surgeries, 18 screening camps examined nearly 6,000 people in remote and border areas of the Kashmir Valley, identifying about 500 patients requiring surgery.
🎯 Prelims High-Yield Examination Points
Operation Drishti is an initiative by the Armed Forces Medical Services to provide advanced eye surgical care in remote, border, and operationally challenging areas, having recently concluded its Kashmir phase.
⚖️ Mains Analytical & Syllabus Linkages
Examine how initiatives like Operation Drishti by the Armed Forces Medical Services bridge the healthcare gap in remote and border regions, fostering human security and national integration.
🎯 UPSC Prelims Practice Drill
With reference to 'Operation Drishti', which was recently in the news, consider the following statements: 1. It is an initiative of the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) to conduct vision-restoring eye surgeries in remote and operationally challenging areas. 2. As part of this initiative, a major surgical camp was successfully conducted in an underground operation theater near the Line of Control (LoC). 3. The scope of this initiative is strictly restricted to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Which of the statements given above are correct?
- [A] 1 and 2 only
- [B] 2 and 3 only
- [C] 1 and 3 only
- [D] 1, 2 and 3
▶ Reveal Official Answer & Analytical Explanation
Statements 1 and 2 are correct. 'Operation Drishti' is an initiative of the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) that provides advanced eye care, including surgeries, in remote areas, with a phase recently completed in Tangdhar (near the LoC in an underground operation theater) and Srinagar. Statement 3 is incorrect because the initiative is not restricted to Jammu and Kashmir; it has expanded to the northern, western, eastern, and central regions of India, with the next phase scheduled to be held in Odisha.
🏛️ Historical Twin PYQ Anchor (2021)
Consider the following statements regarding the "National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)": 1. It is implemented by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. 2. Central Pollution Control Board acts as the sole regulatory executive body.