Description

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Context:

Reliance Jio announced that it had extended its 4G and 5G services to Siachen Glacier, known as the world’s highest battlefield, a day before the Army Day.

About Siachen Glacier

Feature	Details
Type	Foothill Glacier
Location	Karakoram Mountains
Region	Heavily glaciated Himalayan region, known as the "Third Pole"
Freshwater Significance	Contains more freshwater than anywhere else on Earth except the polar glaciers
Boundaries	Lies between the Saltoro Ridge (west) and the main Karakoram Range (east)
Length	Second longest non-polar glacier in the world (after Fedchenko Glacier in Tajikistan)
Origin	Base of Indira Col West, a saddle on Indira Ridge
Strategic Location	Dominates Shaksgam Valley (ceded to China by Pakistan in 1963); controls routes from Gilgit Baltistan to Leh; commands the Karakoram Pass
Main River Source	Nubra River, a major tributary of the Shyok River
Historical Significance	Known as the highest battlefield in the world; taken over by India in 1984 during Operation Meghadoot

Why is Siachen important?

The glacier complex includes the Saltoro Ridge overlooking the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK).
- A ridge with high peaks guards the road leading to Leh, the capital of Ladakh.
Towards the north, it overlooks and dominates the Shaksgam Valley, which Pakistan illegally ceded to China.
It is located near the Karakoram Pass, through which passes the Karakoram Highway connecting Gilgit-Baltistan with China's Xinjiang Province.
Siachen is a wedge between Pakistan and China, preventing them from connecting deeper to the north of Kargil and Leh.
The Chinese factor in the region has never been overlooked as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is geographically close to the Siachen Glacier.
The growing military ties between China and Pakistan have presented India with the real challenge of a possible "two-front war".
- The shift in ground dynamics is due to the presence of about 60,000 PLA forces in eastern Ladakh up to Y Junction, which is close to the critical Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO) airport.

Source:

https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/technology/reliance-jio-extends-4g-and-5g-network-to-siachen-glacier-the-worlds-highest-battlefield/article69099571.ece

PRACTICE QUESTION

Siachen Glacier, often referred to as the world’s highest battlefield, holds significant strategic, geopolitical, and environmental importance for India. Analyze the key reasons for its strategic significance and the challenges faced in managing this region. (250 words)