Which of the following statements about 'Exercise Mitra Shakti-2023' are correct ? 1. This was a joint military exercise between India and Bangladesh. 2. It commenced in Aundh (Pune). 3. Joint response during counter-terrorism operations was a goal of this operation. 4. Indian Air Force was a part of this exercise. Select the answer using the code given below :

States that military-to-military cooperation between India and Bangladesh is increasing, presenting a general pattern of growing defence ties.

A student could take this pattern and check recent years (e.g., 2023) for named bilateral exercises between the two countries to see if Mitra Shakti fits that trend.

Describes 'neighbourhood diplomacy' improving relations with Bangladesh and concrete steps like a 2015 land deal, indicating overall warming ties that often accompany defence engagement.

Use the documented diplomatic rapprochement as a reason to expect bilateral military events and then search for specific exercise names/dates in 2023.

Notes the long shared border (4,096 km) and that relations with Bangladesh are 'vital', implying regular bilateral interactions including security and border-related cooperation.

Given the importance of border security, a student might reasonably look for joint exercises between India and Bangladesh around 2023 focused on interoperability and border/security cooperation.

Records historical Indian military support to the birth of Bangladesh (1971), showing an example of deep military involvement between the two countries.

A student could treat this as precedent for continued military engagement and therefore consider that named joint exercises (like Mitra Shakti) are plausible in later years such as 2023.

Explains that many South Asian disputes exist but also that India is centrally located and often the primary partner; this context suggests India frequently undertakes bilateral initiatives with neighbours.

Use the geopolitical pattern to prioritize checking India–neighbour bilateral exercises (including with Bangladesh) when investigating Mitra Shakti-2023.

Shows 'Shakti' has been used in Indian defence operation/exercise names (Operation Shakti), indicating 'Shakti' is a plausible element of military exercise names.

A student could search defence-news or official press releases for exercises containing 'Shakti' (e.g., 'Mitra Shakti') and check their launch locations and dates.

'Shakti' appears in civilian programme/place names (Shakti Sthala, Surya Mitra), showing the common reuse of the term across schemes and locations.

Use this pattern to justify looking for multiple uses of 'Mitra Shakti' in news/official releases and to disambiguate between similarly named events.

'Shakti' is a widely used cultural/religious term (Shakti pīṭhas), reinforcing that the word recurs in different contexts and names.

Combine this with defence-naming patterns to treat 'Mitra Shakti' as a name needing location-specific verification rather than assuming uniqueness.

Identifies Pune as a significant industrial/urban centre, suggesting it is a plausible site for major events or exercises.

A student could check Pune-based military installations, local news, or defence releases for mentions of exercises commencing in Pune/Aundh.

Describes coordinated joint action (army + air force) in a real counter-infiltration/counter-terrorism operation (Kargil), showing that 'joint response' is a recognized operational pattern.

A student could note that if joint response is a standard operational requirement, bilateral exercises often rehearse such coordination and then check official exercise aims for similar wording.

Lists 'counter-terrorism coordination' and military training as explicit elements of a government policy for international security cooperation, implying counter-terrorism is a common objective in bilateral/multilateral military engagement.

Use this general rule to hypothesize that bilateral exercises like Mitra Shakti commonly include counter-terrorism components and then verify the specific exercise communiqué.

Explains cross-border terrorism as a major internal-security concern and a driver for military/security measures, suggesting counter-terrorism is a likely focus area for defence cooperation.

Combine this security priority with knowledge that exercises respond to prevailing threats to predict counter-terrorism goals might appear in exercise statements for countries facing such threats.

Describes ongoing militant attacks and reciprocal military/fire responses along the border, illustrating the operational environment where joint counter-terrorism responses are practiced.

A student could infer that exercises aimed at improving interoperability would plausibly include 'joint response to terrorist incidents' and then seek the exercise's official objectives to confirm.

Notes the existence of a dedicated national counter-terrorism agency, indicating institutional emphasis on counter-terrorism within national security structures that shape military cooperation priorities.

Use this to argue that national emphasis increases likelihood exercises will feature counter-terrorism objectives; verify by checking the exercise's published goals or defence ministry releases.

Shows a pattern where Indian Army and Indian Air Force coordinate in joint operations and exercises (example: Kargil 'Safed Sagar').

If Mitra Shakti-2023 involved joint army/air activities or was a bilateral training with scope for air operations, a student could reasonably check official exercise briefs or defence ministry releases for IAF listing.

Notes historical precedent of the Indian Air Force participating in major national military engagements after independence.

Given this precedent, for a major named exercise in 2023 one could expect IAF involvement if the exercise included air components — verify by checking press releases or participant lists.

Describes IAF conducting cross-border strikes and coordinated strikes (Balakot), indicating the IAF routinely conducts offensive and coordinated operations with other services.

A student can infer that for combined-service or bilateral drills with operational aims, the IAF is commonly a participant and should be listed in official communications about Mitra Shakti-2023.

Explains constitutional/organisational control over Defence Forces, implying deployments and participation in exercises are formal decisions documented by authorities.

Using this, a student should look for formal records (President/Government/Ministry of Defence statements or parliamentary answers) to confirm whether the IAF was authorized to participate in Mitra Shakti-2023.

Gives an example of the IAF providing personnel to international joint programmes (an IAF pilot in a Soviet-Indian spaceflight), showing the service takes part in international/combined activities beyond pure ground roles.

This supports the idea that IAF participation in international exercises is plausible; a student could check multinational exercise participant lists or news coverage for Mitra Shakti-2023.