Infantry Day on October 27 commemorates the 1947 airlift of 1 Sikh to Srinagar, independent India's first military operation, a day after the Instrument of Accession was signed.

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• Pashtun tribal militias and irregular Pakistani forces crossed into Jammu and Kashmir on October 22, 1947, and advanced towards Srinagar.
• Maharaja Hari Singh signed the Instrument of Accession on October 26, 1947, and India agreed to send troops after the accession.
• Orders to fly a battalion to Srinagar reached Delhi and East Punjab Command on the afternoon of October 26.
• The task fell to 1 Sikh, then on internal security duties in Gurgaon, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Dewan Ranjit Rai.
• Troops were airlifted from Palam in Dakota aircraft, with more than 30 sorties flown between Palam and Srinagar.
• The first Dakota touched down at Srinagar around 9.30 am on October 27, 1947.
• Rai pushed forces towards Baramulla and later fell back to Pattan, midway between Baramulla and Srinagar, to halt the raiders.
• He was killed in action on October 27 and was posthumously awarded the Maha Vir Chakra.
• The Army observes October 27 as Infantry Day, and the Srinagar landing is also commemorated as Shaurya Diwas.
• Soldiers of the J&K State Forces and the Indian Army fought together to push raiders out of most of the state until the ceasefire of January 5, 1949.
• Infantry is the oldest and largest combat arm of the Army and is known as the Queen of the Battle.