Territorial Army

The Territorial Army in India (commonly referred to as TA in India) is based on the British Territorial Army.

It is an organization of volunteers who receive military training for a few days in a year so that in case of an emergency they can be mobilized for the defence of the country.

It is a second line of defense after the Regular Indian Army; the Indian Territorial Army is not a profession, occupation or a source of employment. It is only meant for those people who are already in mainstay civilian professions, in fact, gainful employment or self-employment in a civil profession is a pre-requisite for joining the Territorial Army.

History

The Territorial Army was formed by the British in 1920 through the Indian Territorial Act of 1920 and was organized into two wings 'The Auxiliary Force' for Europeans & Anglo-Indians, and 'The Indian Territorial Force' for Indian Volunteers. The modern Territorial Army was formally inaugurated by the first Indian Governor General Shri C Rajagopalachari on October 9, 1949 after the Independence Territorial Army Act was passed in 1948. October 9 is celebrated as Prime Minister's Territorial Army Day Parade.^[1]

The Territorial Army initially had various types of units such as Armoured Regiment, Infantry Battalion, Air Defence, Medical Regiment, Engineers Field Park Coy, Signal Regiment, EME Workshop, Coast Battery, ASC GT Coy, ASC Compo Pl, and AMC Field Ambulance. By 1972 these units were either disbanded or converted to Regular Army units with the exception of Infantry Battalions.

Territorial Army units were actively involved in military operations in 1962, 1965 and 1971 . The "Terriers" have also taken part in Operation Pawan in Srilanka, Operation Rakshak in Punjab & J&K, Operation Rhino and Operation Bajrang in the North East. Departmental units came to the aid of the civil authorities during industrial unrest and natural calamities, most famous being earthquake in Latoor (Maharastra), Uttarkashi in Garhwal Himalaya and the super cyclone in Orissa. The Ecological units have arrested man made environmental degradation by planting 2.5 crore trees over 20,000 hectare of land in Mussoori Hills & Pithoragarh (UP), Bikaner & Jaisalmer (Rajasthan) and ravines of Chambal in Madhya Pradesh.

Force structure

The Territorial Army is part of the regular Indian Army. The present role of the Territorial Army is to relieve the Regular Army from static duties and assist civil administration in dealing with natural calamities and maintenance of essential services in situations where life of the communities is affected or the security of the country is threatened, and to provide units for the Regular Army as and when required. Presently the Territorial Army has a strength of approximately 387,000 first line troops (and 400,000 second line troops) comprising departmental Territorial Army units such as Railway, IOC, ONGC, Telecommunication and General Hospital, and the non Departmental Territorial Army units of Infantry Battalion and Ecological Battalion affiliated to various Infantry Regiments.

Training

Infantry training is carried out on urban and provincial systems.

Urban systems of training

• Recruit Training: Training is carried out on weekends and holidays. Four hours of training is counted as one day. Thirty-two days in the first year only including a camp of not less than four days if the trainee volunteers with the written consent of his employer, if any.

• Annual Training: A minimum of thirty days, with extensions up to a maximum of sixty days including a camp for fourteen days.

• Post Commission Training: All Officers are required to undergo ten weeks of Post commission training within two years of their commissioning.

• Voluntary training to gain additional military training, provided the trainee Volunteers with the written consent of the employer, if any.

Provincial systems of training

• Recruit Training: For a continuous period of thirty days in the first year only.

• Annual Training: For a continuous period of two calendar months in the first and subsequent years.

• Post commission Training: Officers receive ten weeks of compulsory post commission training within two years of commissioning.

• Voluntary Training to gain additional military training, provided the trainee volunteers with the written consent of his employer, if any.

Notable veterans

Many famous Indians have been members of this unique force, including Brigadier K P Singh Deo, former Cabinet Minister, Captain Rao Birendra Singh, former Chief Minister of the State of Haryana, and various present ministers, legislators and serving senior civil officers and professionals.

Actor Nana Patekar joined the Territorial Army on late 1990s.

Muthukrishnan Iyyappan, commissioned in 1999 was the first officer of the Territorial Army to be permanently seconded to the regular army. He joined the 3rd battallion of 8 Gorkha Rifles and served a tenure at the Siachen Glacier - again the first officer of Territorial Army to serve in the Siachen Glacier. Capt. Muthukrishnan Iyyappan was also the first officer of the Territorial Army to be posted at the Defense Services Staff College where he was the Officer Commanding - Troops during 1999-2000.

Kapil Dev joined the Territorial Army on September 24, 2008 and was commissioned as an hon. Lieutenant Colonel^[2][3]. Navdeep Singh, a lawyer is known to have received the highest decorations in the Indian Territorial Army.

Actor Mohanlal joined Territorial Army as Hon. Lieutenant Colonel on 9 July 2009 - the army announced his appointment in December 2008. His role in two films, Keerthichakra and Kurukshetra, as an army member,led to his interest in the army and his voluntarily join the Territorial Army.^[4]

References

1. ^ http://indianarmy.nic.in/ta/index_ta.htm
2. ^ http://www.rediff.com/cricket/2008/sep/24kapil.htm
3. ^ http://www.dailypioneer.com/indexn12.asp?main_variable=front%5Fpage&file_name=story6%2Etxt&counter_img=6
4. ^ http://ibnlive.in.com/news/mohanlal-wants-to-join-territorial-army/77204-8.html

• http://www.rediff.com/movies/2008/dec/15mohanlal-to-become-lt-col.htm

See also

• National Cadet Corps (India)

External links

• http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/LAND-FORCES/index.php?page=shop.browse&category_id=22&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=26&vmcchk=1&Itemid=26
• http://indianarmy.nic.in/ta/index_ta.htm The official website of the Territorial Army in India
• http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/india/ta.htm
• http://mod.nic.in/samachar/17/html/ch11.htm An article in Sainik samachar about Territorial Army evolution
• http://india.gov.in/sectors/defence/territorial_army.php

Video

Territorial Army parade

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