RAS question
Vijay Diwas on December 16 commemorates India's victory in which war?
Correct answer: (C) 1971 Indo-Pakistani War.
Vijay Diwas on 16 December commemorates the Indian Armed Forces' victory in the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War, which led to the liberation of Bangladesh.
Explanation
Vijay Diwas is tied specifically to the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War, not to India's other major twentieth-century conflicts. Press Information Bureau states that Vijay Diwas is celebrated on 16 December every year to mark the anniversary of the Indian Armed Forces' victory in that war. It also records why the date is historically decisive: about 93,000 Pakistani soldiers surrendered, and the outcome resulted in the liberation of Bangladesh. India's victory over Pakistan in 1971 led to the creation of Bangladesh. Therefore, the commemoration is about the 1971 war and its strategic result, not simply a generic military victory day.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) The 1999 Kargil War is a different India-Pakistan conflict and is not the war identified by Press Information Bureau for Vijay Diwas on 16 December.
- (B) The 1962 Sino-Indian War involved China, whereas Press Information Bureau links Vijay Diwas to India's victory in the 1971 Indo-Pak War.
- (D) The 1965 Indo-Pakistani War was an earlier conflict with Pakistan, but Press Information Bureau names the 1971 Indo-Pak War as the event commemorated on 16 December.
Concept
This tests modern Indian military history and the association between commemorative days and landmark wars. It recurs in RAS because dates such as Vijay Diwas connect static history with nationally observed public memory.