Mission Sankalp

Why in News? Mission Sankalp , that was initiated on April 21, 2025, ” a large-scale joint operation by security forces in Chhattisgarh, has entered its third week.

• The operation has resulted in the deaths of four Maoists, with their bodies recovered from the Karregutta hills near the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border.

Relevance : UPSC Pre & Mains

Prelims : Mission Sankalp/ Karregutta hills/ Abujhmad region

Mains :  GS Paper III: Internal Security and Challenges

Key Highlights of the Operation:

Scale of Operation:

24,000 troops mobilized, including personnel from:

• Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP)
• Special Task Force (STF)
• Focused on the Abujhmad region of Bastar, known as a Maoist stronghold.

What is Mission Sankalp?

• Mission Sankalp is a large-scale joint counter-insurgency operation initiated by the government of Chhattisgarh to combat Maoist (Naxalite) insurgency in the Bastar region.
• Launched on April 21, 2025, it involves a multi-agency effort to eliminate Maoist strongholds and restore peace in the conflict-prone region.

Objectives of Mission Sankalp:

• Neutralize Maoist Leadership: Targeting top Maoist leaders and dismantling their network.
• Seize Maoist Strongholds: Focusing on areas like the Abujhmad region, which are considered Maoist bastions.
• Secure Infrastructure Development: Ensuring the implementation of development projects without the threat of violence.
• Build Public Confidence: Restoring normalcy to enable better governance and civic participation.

Other related steps taken to Combat Maoism:

Security Operations:

SAMADHAN Strategy:

An overarching approach by the Ministry of Home Affairs to tackle Maoism, focusing on Smart leadership, Aggressive strategy, Motivation and training, Actionable intelligence, and Development.

Operation Prahar: A series of targeted strikes launched earlier to weaken Maoist influence in critical regions.

About the:

• They are also referred to as Carregutta or Black Hills, are a significant geographical and strategic feature located along the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border in India. Stretching approximately 60 to 90 kilometers, the hill range spans districts like Bijapur in Chhattisgarh and Mulugu and Bhadradri-Kothagudem in Telangana, roughly 450 km from Raipur, the capital of Chhattisgarh.
• Karregutta Hills have long served as a stronghold for the Communist Party of India (Maoist) and its armed wing, the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA), particularly Battalion No. 1, considered the Maoists’ most formidable military unit.
• The Karregutta Hills are home to tribal communities like the Koya, Gond, and Chenchu, who have been caught in the crossfire of the conflict.