The North News
New Delhi, May 7
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday described the success of Operation Sindoor as a “proud moment for everyone” during a Union Cabinet meeting held today after India carried out precision airstrikes on terror camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Addressing his colleagues, Modi lauded the armed forces for striking nine identified terror camps swiftly and with “remarkable precision.” The operation is a response to the Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 people were killed.
Home Minister Amit Shah echoed the sentiment, posting on X (formerly Twitter) that the country is proud of its forces. “#OperationSindoor is Bharat’s response to the brutal killing of our innocent brothers in Pahalgam,” he wrote. “The Modi government is resolved to give a befitting reply to any attack on India and its people. Bharat remains firmly committed to eradicating terrorism from its roots.”
While the military response dominated discussions, the Cabinet also cleared a significant academic expansion. Ministers approved the second phase of infrastructure development at five newly established Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) — located in Andhra Pradesh (Tirupati), Kerala (Palakkad), Chhattisgarh (Bhilai), Jammu and Kashmir (Jammu), and Karnataka (Dharwad).
The plan, which involves an investment of ₹11,828.79 crore over four years (2025–26 to 2028–29), includes enhanced infrastructure and academic capacity. It also provides for the creation of 130 senior faculty posts and the establishment of five cutting-edge research parks aimed at boosting collaboration between academia and industry.
Student intake across these institutes will grow by more than 6,500 over four years. First-year admissions will increase by 1,364 students, followed by 1,738 in the second year, 1,767 in the third, and 1,707 in the fourth, spanning undergraduate, postgraduate, and PhD programmes.
While India’s strike has received broad political backing at home, the government has yet to share details on casualties or international diplomatic fallout. Pakistan, for its part, has condemned the operation but has not confirmed damage.
