Context:

• A contingent of 120 personnel from the Indian Army and Indian Air Force departed for Kazakhstan to participate in the 7th edition of the joint military exercise ‘KAZIND-2023’.

 Key Points :

• This military exercise will be conducted in Kazakhstan from 30 October to 11 November 2023.
• The Indian Army contingent includes 90 military personnel led by a battalion of the Dogra Regiment.
• In the current edition of this military exercise, along with the Army contingents, 30 Air Force personnel from both sides will also participate.
• The joint exercise between India and Kazakhstan was started in the year 2016 as ‘Exercise Prabal Dostik’.
• After the second edition, the exercise was upgraded to a company-level exercise and renamed ‘Exercise Kazind’.
• This year the exercise has been upgraded as a bi-service exercise by involving the Air Force.
• In this edition of the exercise, both military sides will practise conducting counter-terrorism operations in a sub-formal environment under the UN mandate.
• The troops will jointly practise various tactical exercises, including raids, search and destroy operations, small team entry and extraction operations etc.
• The scope of the exercise also includes counter unmanned aerial system operations.

 Result of this exercise -

• 'Exercise KAZIND-2023' will provide an opportunity to both the military sides to gain knowledge about each other's tactics, war exercises and procedures which are essential for conducting operations within the UN mandate.
• This joint training will develop the skills, flexibility and coordination required for conducting joint military operations in semi-urban and urban conditions.
• Both military sides will get an opportunity to practise on a wide spectrum of combat skills and learn mutually from each other.
• This exercise will provide an opportunity to the participants to exchange ideas and share best practices.

 Why is Kazakhstan important for India?

• Kazakhstan, the largest country in Central Asia, has strategic importance.
• Kazakhstan is of great importance to India, especially in terms of energy resources and its economic potential and also because of its geo-strategic location.
• It is noteworthy that from the point of view of energy resources, Kazakhstan is the world's largest producer of uranium.
• Additionally, India and Kazakhstan actively cooperate under the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and United Nations (UN) organisations.

 Kazakhstan - 

• Capital: Astana
• Currency: Kazakhstani Tenge
• Official languages: Kazakh, Russian
• Continent: Asia, Europe

 India - 

• Current Army Chief: General Manoj Pandey
• Chief of Defense Staff: General Anil Chauhan
• Defense Minister: Rajnath Singh