Across
- 4. incorporation of Goa, Daman and Diu into the union of India; also the first name of an Indian tennis player who appeared in a Bond movie in 1983
- 6. helping fleeing Hindus and Sikhs from Afghanistan after Taliban takeover
- 8. flushing out militants from Kashmir region; also a popular mosquito repellent brand
- 11. against the Naxalite-Maoist insurgency (1971); also a type of equestrian obstacle race
- 13. relief mission after Nepal earthquake (2015); also the name of a permanent Indian research station in Antarctica
- 16. incorporation of Junagadh into the union of India
- 17. against 2008 Mumbai terror attacks (two words); a dark twister
Down
- 1. retaliation to the attacks on Assam Rifles' outpost in 1987; also the name of two different supporting characters in Marvel's Spiderman and DC's Batman
- 2. to maintain law and order in Punjab after Operation Blue Star; also the name of a fully parasitic flower native to New Zealand
- 3. taking control of Jaffna, Sri Lanka, from the LTTE; also the stage name of a popular actor in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam cinema
- 5. naval operation against a coup in Maldives (1988); a succuluent plant with a thick spiny stem
- 7. evacuation of Indian citizens from Sudan; a river of contention in southern India
- 9. evacuation of Indian citizens from Ukraine during the Ukraine-Russia War (2022); a river in northern India
- 10. taking control of Siachen glacier (1984); a famous Sanskrit lyric poem by Kalidasa
- 12. offensive operation on Karachi port in 1971; also a weapon wielded by the Greek and Roman gods of the sea
- 14. blockage of Karachi port (1999); a type of Indian weapon
- 15. evacuation of Indian, Nepalese and Sri Lankan nationals from zone of conflict in Lebanon War (2006);
- 16. incorporation of Hyderabad into the union of India; also a sport whose modern form originated in Manipur, India