Territorial Army (India)

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Territorial Army
Territorial Army India Logo.gif
Crest of the Territorial Army
Active1949 – present
Country India
AllegianceTemplate:Country data Republic of India
Branch Indian Army
TypeAuxiliary army
Size40,000+[1]
HeadquartersTA Group Headquarters
Nickname(s)Terriers
Motto(s)Savdhani Va Shoorta
(Vigilance and Valour)
AnniversariesTA Day (9 October)
Engagements1962 India-China War
1965 Indo-Pak war
1971 Indo-Pakistani War
Operation Pawan
Operation Rakshak
Kargil War
Websitejointerritorialarmy.gov.in
Commanders
Director GeneralMohindera Singh
Chief of Defence StaffAnil Chauhan
Insignia
InsigniaChain of Lotus and the Lion Capital of Ashoka
FlagTerritorial Army (Flag).svg

The Territorial Army (TA) of India is an auxiliary military organisation of part-time volunteers that provides support service to the Indian Army. It is composed of officers, junior commissioned officers, non-commissioned officers and other personnel holding ranks same as Indian Army, who also have civilian occupations. The role of TA is to "relieve the regular army from static duties and assist civil administration in dealing with natural calamities and maintenance of essential services" and to "provide units for regular army as and when required".[2]

The TA was constituted by the Territorial Army Act of 1948 in the Dominion of India as a successor to the Indian Defence Force (1917 – 1920) and Indian Territorial Force (1920 – 1948). It is commanded by a three-star ranking Director General of Territorial Army (a Lieutenant General-ranking officer deputed from Indian Army) and headed by the Chief of Defence Staff under the Department of Military Affairs of the Ministry of Defence. The TA has two units—departmental unit (PSU and Indian Railway employees, and ex-servicemen) and non-departmental unit (privately employed citizens).

The TA has participated in all wars since India's independence, including Sino-Indian War of 1962, Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, and the Kargil War. The TA have also taken part in Operation Pawan (1987) in Sri Lanka, Operation Rakshak in Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir, Operation Rhino (1991) and Operation Bajrang (1990 – 1991) in Northeast India, and Operation Parakram in Jammu and Kashmir.

Employment in mainstay civilian professions or self-employment is a pre-requisite for joining. Members has to undergo annual mandatory paid service for two months (counted as one year). TA stresses it "does not provide full time career", although there is no restriction. Soldiers often prefer to remain embodied for longer periods. TA personnel are entitled to all benefits applicable to the Indian Army, except gratuity and pension which are based on number of actual years served.[3]

History[edit]

When the English East India Company reached Surat in 1612, they created a body of part-time soldiers from among the employees of the company to defend their commercial interests. In 1687, they created Companie of Trained Bands by the order of the Governor and Council of Fort St. George, a part-time force based in Madras created from among the employees of the company to defend against the rival French East India Company and native princely states. They also participated in the victorious Battle of Plassey on 23 June 1757. Many of its part-time units were converted into regular and irregular forces.[4]

After the events of 1857, the British Crown took over Indian administration from the Company and existing part-time forces were re-organised, creating the Volunteer Force (VFI) by an act of law. With the expansion of British rule in India, full-time regular forces gained prominence. The VFI was engaged in military conflicts in both India and abroad, including the Second Boer War and the First World War. The VFI was later re-organised and replaced by the Indian Defence Force (IDF).[4]

The IDF, incorporating Europeans and Indians in separate sections, was formed by the British on 9 October 1917. It was established in order to release regular troops from garrison duties during World War I. Indians were volunteers, while Europeans were conscripted. The Indian Defence Force Act 1917 made military service compulsory for all European males (except the clergy) between the ages of 16 and 50 permanently residing in British India (including princely states).[5] Those between 16 and 18 were obliged to undertake training only, while men over 40 had to serve in their local district, but men between 19 and 40 were obliged to serve anywhere required within the country.[6]

The IDF had a youth wing named University Corps (UC) created at Calcutta, Bombay, Madras, and Allahabad universities. The IDF was generally unpopular among British conscripts.[4] In 1920, it was replaced by two separate volunteer organisations—the Auxiliary Force (AFI) for European and Anglo-Indian officers and the Indian Territorial Force (ITF) for Indian other ranks.[7] The UC was re-organised as University Training Corps (UTC) under the ITF, later renamed as University Officers' Training Corps (UOTC). After India's independence, the AFI was disbanded as services no longer required, and the ITF was restructured into newly formed Territorial Army and the UOTC was converted into the National Cadet Corps (NCC).[4]

Post-independence, the Territorial Army Bill was introduced in the Constituent Assembly (the then parliament) on 23 August 1948 and was passed as an act on 1 September and came into force on 10 September. It enabled civilians pursuing other professions to serve part-time in the army.[8] The TA was constituted by re-organising and re-designatong 11 ITF infantry units. The first camp of TA was inaugurated by the first Governor-General of independent India, C. Rajagopalachari, on 9 October 1949. Since then, the annual Territorial Army Day is observed on 9 October.[9] During the India-China conflict in 1959, defence minister V. K. Krishna Menon asked Indians to volunteer for the TA through a radio address.[10]

The Territorial Army initially had various types of units, such as Armoured Regiment (TA), Infantry Battalion (TA), Air Defence (TA), Medical Regiment (TA), Engineers Field Park Coy (TA), Signal Regiment (TA), EME Workshop (TA), Coast Battery (TA), ASC GT Coy (TA), ASC Compo Pl (TA), and AMC Field Ambulances (TA). By 1972, these units were either disbanded or converted to Regular Army, except Infantry Battalions.[1]

Role[edit]

The Territorial Army is an integral part of the Indian Army by law. Composition of the Indian Army as defined in the Part I of the Defence Services Regulations states that "the army comprises regular army, regular reserves, and the Territorial Army".[8] Part-time TA personnel may also fall within the definition of regular army when attached to a unit. The Territorial Army Act 1948 states that, for the purpose of sections 128, 130, and 131 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), "all officers, non-commissioned officers and other enrolled persons who have been attached to a unit shall be deemed to be officers, non-commissioned officers and soldiers respectively of the Regular Army".[11] This is further complimented in the Army Act, 1950, which defines regular army as "regular army means officers, junior commissioned officers, warrant officers, non-commissioned officers and other enrolled persons who, by their commission, warrant, terms of enrolment or otherwise, are liable to render continuously for a term military service to the [Indian] Union in any part of the world, including persons belonging to the Reserve Forces and the Territorial Army when called out on permanent service".[12]

Liabilities of TA personnel, as per TA Act 1948, states that "every officer or enrolled person shall be liable to perform military service: (a) when called out in the prescribed manner to act in support of the civil power or to provide essential guards; (b) when embodied in the prescribed manner for training or for supporting or supplementing the regular forces; and (c) when attached to any regular forces either at his own request or under the prescribed conditions". It also says no personnel has any liability to serve beyond the "limits of India", unless under a General or by a special order of the Government of India.[11]

The concept of the TA was redefined multiple times by TA Review Committee nominated by the Government of India. The first review of 1971 defined it as "... to provide part-time military training to gainfully employed citizens of the nation", second review of 1982 said "... TA should be based on part-time and full-time units and recruitment to be all citizens who fulfil the prescribed standard, while in consonance with the traditional concept, every effort should be made to enroll gainfully employed persons", the third review of 1995 recommended a restructure to make it a tri-service organisation, including the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force, named the Indian Territorial Force and pass the new Indian Territorial Force Act.[4]

As per Army Order. 77/1984, the present role of the TA 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 regular army as and when required".[13]

During the time of its inception, TA was well-received by the Indian Army, the Indian Navy, and the Indian Air Force, but the concept of TA subsequently eroded and confined only to some infantry and departmental units of the Indian Army.[14] Former Indian Army colonel and columnist Balwan Singh Nagial wrote that the "expansion of the regular army certainly overshadowed the concept of TA. Instead, it should have happened the other way around, keeping in view the cost-effectiveness of TA".[14] In February 2020, General Bipin Rawat stated that "TAisation of defence forces" is a way forward for reducing the cost of running the military. After the restructuring of the Indian Armed Forces by introducing the Chief of Defence Staff and the Department of Military Affairs in March 2020, the focus of TA expanded to include more operational and intelligence gathering roles in an effort to cut down cost of the Indian Army, nevertheless, the TA was already in a phase of gradual expansion since the past few years.[15]

Activities[edit]

25th anniversary postage stamp (1974)

Territorial Army units were actively involved in military operations in Sino-Indian War of 1962, Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, and the Kargil War.[16] TA has participated in all wars since independence, subsequently many Air Defence and Artillery units of TA were converted into regular army units.[17] TA have also taken part in Operation Pawan (1987) in Sri Lanka, Operation Rakshak in Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir, and Operation Rhino (1991) and Operation Bajrang (1990 – 1991) in Northeast India. Departmental units came to the aid of the civil authorities during industrial unrest and natural calamities, most famous being the 1991 Uttarkashi earthquake, the 1993 Latur earthquake, and the 1999 Odisha cyclone.[18]

TA, as part of Indian Peace Keeping Force, was involved in peacekeeping activities in Sri Lanka from 29 July 1987 to 24 March 1990. Since early 1990s, units have been actively deployed in Jammu and Kashmir, Northeast India, and along India's northern and western borders. As per a 2021 report, approximately 75 percent of TA units are deployed in counter-insurgency / counter-terrorism prone areas in Jammu and Kashmir and Northeast India.[14] Since 1994, many TA soldiers are serving as regulars in counter-insurgency areas like Jammu and Kashmir for as long as three years in a stretch.[16] TA participated in the rescue and relief operations during the 2001 Gujarat earthquake and also protected oil installations in Vadodara during the riots post-Godhra train burning incident in 2002.[19]

TA has also participated in mountaineering activities. The joint Indo-British TA Mountaineering Expedition scaled Mount Kokthang (6147 metre) twice in October 1982 and September 1994 and Mount Tenchenkhang (6010 metre) in May 1998 in West Sikkim. The Ecological Battalion units planted 2.5 crore saplings over 20,000 hectare of land in Mussoorie and Pithoragarh hill stations in Uttarakhand, Bikaner and Jaisalmer in Rajasthan, ravines of Chambal in Madhya Pradesh, and Bhatti mines in Delhi.[13] As of 2021, Ecological Task Forces has planted 6.9 crore saplings covering an area of 72,761 hectares with 65 to 75 percent survival rate.[14] In 2020, plans were taken to increase the presence of TA personnel in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands due to concerns regarding Chinese intrusion.[15]

On the night of 29 June 2022, in the landslide occurred at the company location of 107 Infantry Battalion (TA) deployed near Tupul railway station in Manipur to protect the under-construction Jiribam–Imphal line, 30 personnel died and one went missing (who was proclaimed dead).[20] The family of each personnel received more than ₹1 crore from various schemes as compensation and emoluments in addition to future benefits for their children.[21] In July 2022, the TA started recruiting Mandarin language graduates as officers, as part of an effort by the Indian Army to increase Mandarin and Tibetology experts amid the 2020–2022 China–India skirmishes and the efforts by China's People's Liberation Army to recruit Hindi interpreters for posting at the Tibet Autonomous Region.[22]

Organisation[edit]

Till 2020, the TA was headed by an Additional Directorate General of Territorial Army (ADG TA), held by a Major General-ranking officer from Indian Army, and came under the office of the Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) of the Indian Army. From March 2020 onward, following a restructuring of the Indian Armed Forces by the Government of India, the TA is now headed by a Director General of Territorial Army (DG TA), held by a Lieutenant General-ranking officer from Indian Army, and comes under the office of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) under the newly created Department of Military Affairs under the Ministry of Defence. Lieutenant General Devendra Pratap Pandey took charge as the first DG TA and General Bipin Rawat took charge as the first CDS of Indian Armed Forces.[23]

The TA comprises departmental TA units such as Indian Railways, ONGC, IOCL, BPCL, and HPCL, and Ecological Task Force battalions, and the non-departmental TA units of infantry battalions, home and hearth, and engineers regiments affiliated to various infantry regiments. The non-departmental units are funded by the Ministry of Defence, while the departmental units are funded by state governments and Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.[9]

Group headquarters[edit]

  • TA GP HQ, Southern Command – Pune, Maharashtra - 13 infantry, 4 departmental units (railway, oil, marketing), 2 ETF[17]
  • TA GP HQ, Eastern Command – Kolkata, West Bengal
  • TA GP HQ, Western Command – Chandigarh
  • TA GP HQ, Central Command – Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
  • TA GP HQ, Northern Command – Udhampur, Jammu & Kashmir

Zones[edit]

There are zonal divisions and recruitments are zonal based.

Departmental units[edit]

801 Engineer Regiment R&P (TA) was raised as a Departmental Territorial Army unit on 1 March 1983 at Agra (Agra Fort) under Ministry of Petroleum, Chemicals & Fertilizers; later renamed as Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG). The purpose of raising of the unit was to operate oil Refineries & Pipelines in case of any eventuality. The unit was raised to cater for Indian Oil Corporation. Later the scope was extended in 1985 to other oil companies i.e. BPCL (Bharat Petroleum), HPCL (Hindustan Petroleum), CRL (later CPCL & now IOCL-CR), BRPL (now IOCL-BGR) and KRL (now BPCL, Kochi). The idea of raising oil sector units came up after the Assam agitation of 1980, which resulted in a loss of more than 5000 crore in oil production. The duties of oil sector units are more of technical in nature. During their embodied service in the TA, these personnel perform the same jobs they were doing in their parent oil companies.[24]

Early 1980s saw the fragile ecology of the Shivalik Range. The environmental steadiness of Mussoorie hills was worsening due to illegitimate mining of limestone, escalating the rate of desertification. Norman Borlaug, the director of International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, Mexico proposed the then prime minister of India, Indira Gandhi, to encompass the Indian Army to recover the ecology of the region. The government decided to raise TA units by enrolling ex-servicemen with the dual aim of rejuvenating ecology and settlement of ex-servicemen. Units were raised under the aegis of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Ministry of Defense in conjunction with state governments. It is recommended that each state to have one ETF unit, who operates for State Forest Departments. The first Ecological Task Force Battalion was raised on 1 December 1982. At present, there are 10 ETF units carrying out afforestation activities in rugged and ecological degraded areas.[25]

In 2018, the Composite Ecological Task Force (CETF), also called Ganga Task Force, was raised as part of the Namami Gange Programme of the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) for maintaining cleanliness of river Ganges. The unit comprises ex-servicemen trained by Central Pollution Control Board for testing the river water. They also carry out afforestation activities on the banks of the river.[26] CETF was raised on the proposal by Department of Ex-servicemen Welfare.[27]

On 3 June 2022, after reviewing a report by a constituted committee and with concurrence of the Ministry of Defence and Directorate General of Territorial Army (DGTA), the Ministry of Railways decided to disband five out of the six Railway Engineers Regiment (TA) located at Jhansi, Kota, Adra, Chandigarh, and Secunderabad, keeping only the Jamalpur regiment for operational role along the New Jalpaiguri-Siliguri-Newmal-Alipurduar-Rangiya route (361 km) to cover a critical rail link through Siliguri Corridor and further up to Rangiya as proposed by the Ministry of Defence. The disbandment process is to be completed by DGTA gradually within nine months.[28]

Several hospitals are affiliated with Territorial Army as General Hospital (TA) at Kolkata, Allahabad, Jaipur, Patiala, Guwāhāti, Ahmadabad, and Rohtak. These units are activated only during war times to treat army personnel. In 2009, TA activated M & J Institute of Ophthalmology, Ahmedabad after 30 years for performing a mock drill.[29]

Current units[edit]

Oil sector
  • 801 Engineer Regiment Refineries & Pipelines (TA) – Agra
  • 811 Engineer Regiment ONGC (TA) – Baroda
  • 414 ASC Battalion Marketing (TA) – Kamptee
Indian Railway
  • 969 Railway Engineers Regiment (TA) - Jamalpur
  • 970 Railway Engineers Regiment (TA) - Jhansi (to be disbanded)
  • 1031 Railway Engineers Regiment (TA) - Kota (to be disbanded)
  • 1032 Railway Engineers Regiment (TA) - Adra (to be disbanded)
  • 1101 Railway Engineers Regiment (TA) - Chandigarh (to be disbanded)
  • 1105 Railway Engineers Regiment (TA) - Secunderabad (to be disbanded)
Ecological Task Forces (ETF)

Non-departmental units[edit]

The decision to raise Home and Hearth (H&H) units was taken in 2003-2004, based on the "sons of soil" model. The 162 Infantry Battalion TA JAK LI (H&H) is exclusively for Ikhwans.[30] The H&H personnel are completely recruited from Jammu and Kashmir.[31] H&H are deployed in Northern and Eastern regions, while 70 percent of the infantry battalion troops are send for counter-insurgency duties.[9] The three Engineer Regiment is raised for maintenance of the Line of Control.[32]

Current units[edit]

Infantry Battalions
  • 101 Infantry Battalion (TA) Maratha Light Infantry – Pune, Maharashtra
  • 102 Infantry Battalion (TA) Punjab Regiment – Kalka, Haryana
  • 103 Infantry Battalion (TA) Sikh Light Infantry – Ludhiana, Punjab
  • 105 Infantry Battalion (TA) Rajputana Rifles – Delhi Cantonment, New Delhi
  • 106 Infantry Battalion (TA) Para – Bengaluru, Karnataka
  • 107 Infantry Battalion (TA) 11 Gorkha Rifles – Darjeeling, West Bengal
  • 108 Infantry Battalion (TA) Mahar – Dehradun, Uttarakhand
  • 109 Infantry Battalion (TA) Maratha Light Infantry – Kolhapur, Maharashtra
  • 110 Infantry Battalion (TA) Madras – Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu
  • 111 Infantry Battalion (TA) Kumaon – Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh
  • 112 Infantry Battalion (TA) Dogra – Jalandhar, Punjab
  • 113 Infantry Battalion (TA) Rajput – Kolkata, West Bengal
  • 114 Infantry Battalion (TA) Jat – Fatehgarh, Uttar Pradesh
  • 115 Infantry Battalion (TA) Mahar Regiment – Belgaum, Karnataka
  • 116 Infantry Battalion (TA) Parachute Regiment – Devlali, Maharashtra
  • 117 Infantry Battalion (TA) Guards – Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu
  • 118 Infantry Battalion (TA) Grenadiers – Bhusawal, Maharashtra
  • 119 Infantry Battalion (TA) Assam – Shillong, Meghalaya
  • 120 Infantry Battalion (TA) Bihar – Bhubaneswar, Odisha
  • 121 Infantry Battalion (TA) Garhwal Rifles – Kolkata, West Bengal
  • 122 Infantry Battalion (TA) Madras Regiment - Kannur, Kerala
  • 123 Infantry Battalion (TA) The Grenadiers - Jaipur, Rajasthan
  • 124 Infantry Battalion (TA) Sikh – New Delhi (Union Territory)
  • 125 Infantry Battalion (TA) Guards – Secunderabad, Telangana
  • 126 Infantry Battalion (TA) Jammu and Kashmir Rifles – Madhopur, Punjab
  • 150 Infantry Battalion (TA) Punjab Regiment – New Delhi (Union Territory)
  • 151 Infantry Battalion (TA) Jat Regiment – Muzaffarpur, Bihar
  • 152 Infantry Battalion (TA) Sikh Regiment – Ludhiana, Punjab
  • 153 Infantry Battalion (TA) Dogra Regiment – Meerut, Uttar Pradesh
  • 154 Infantry Battalion (TA) Bihar Regiment – Brichgunj (Port Blair), Andaman and Nicobar Islands
  • 155 Infantry Battalion (TA) Jammu and Kashmir Rifles – Sujanpur, Himachal Pradesh
Infantry Battalion (Home and Hearth)
Engineer Regiment

Personnel[edit]

The Territorial Army has a strength of more than 43,000 first-line troops and 160,000 second line troops (as of 2019).[33]

Rank structure[edit]

Officers
Equivalent
NATO code
OF-10 OF-9 OF-8 OF-7 OF-6 OF-5 OF-4 OF-3 OF-2 OF-1 OF(D) and student officer
Territorial Army[34] Brigadier of the Indian Army.svg Colonel of the Indian Army.svg Lieutenant Colonel of the Indian Army.svg Major of the Indian Army.svg Captain of the Indian Army.svg Lieutenant of the Indian Army.svg No insignia
Brigadier
ब्रिगेडियर
Colonel
कर्नल
Lieutenant colonel
लेफ्टिनेंट - कर्नल
Major
मेजर
Captain
कप्तान
Lieutenant
लेफ्टिनेंट
Officer cadet
JCO and Other Ranks
Rank group Junior commissioned officers Non commissioned officer Enlisted
Territorial Army[34] Subedar Major - Risaldar Major of the Indian Army.svg Subedar - Risaldar of the Indian Army.svg Naib Subedar - Naib Risaldar of the Indian Army.svg India-Army-OR-6.svg India-Army-OR-4.svg India-Army-OR-3.svg No insignia
Subedar Major
सूबेदार मेजर
Subedar
सूबेदार
Naib Subedar
नायब सूबेदार
Havildar
हवलदार
Naik
नायक
Lance Naik
लांस नायक
Sepoy
सिपाही

Training[edit]

Non-departmental[edit]

Urban systems of training

Training is carried out on weekends and holidays. Four hours of training is counted as one day.

  • Recruit Training: 32 days in the first year only including a camp of not less than 4 days if the trainee volunteers with the written consent of his employer, if any.
  • Annual Training: A minimum of 30 days, with extensions up to a maximum of 60 days including a camp for 14 days.
  • Post Commission Training: All Officers are required to undergo 10 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 30 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: 10 weeks post commission training is compulsory 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.

Departmental[edit]

  • Recruit Training: Carried out for a continuous period of 30 days in the first year in a camp. No training for Medical and Nursing officers of General Hospital (TA).
  • Annual Training: In the first and subsequent years annual training is carried out for a continuous period of 30 days in a camp. For officers of General Hospital (TA), this is carried out on weekends, without a camp, four hours training being counted as one day.
  • Post commission training: 30 days post commission training within two years of commissioning is compulsory for all Departmental TA officers, except Medical officers of Railway (TA) units and officers of General Hospitals (TA).
  • Voluntary Training: Departmental TA personnel who volunteer with the specific consent of their departments can be attached for voluntary training.

Celebrity members[edit]

Sports and band[edit]

Territorial Army has a multi-purpose stadium in Amravati, Maharashtra called the Territorial Army Parade Ground (formerly known as Reforms Club Ground) that mostly hosts cricket matches.[43][44] They engage in sporting activities, such as volleyball and basketball.[45] They also participate in army shooting competitions and conducts competitions such as TA inter-battalion football and volleyball events, among others.[46] In 2016, the 118 Infantry Battalion (TA) and the Cycle Polo Federation of India jointly organized the National Cycle Polo Championship, TA won the men's senior division.[47] TA lost to Air Force Cycle Polo team in the National Cycle Polo Championship (2021 – 22).[48] They have also conducted golf competitions.[49]

The TA has a military band named Territorial Army Symphony. It was raised in 2009 with members selected from various TA units. There are more than 40 musicians in the band, playing brass, strings, and Indian classical instruments. They perform both contemporary and traditional music.[50]

Awards and decorations[edit]

Personnel of Territorial Army has received various awards and decorations. As of 2021, it includes one Ashok Chakra, one Kirti Chakra, five Ati Vishisht Seva Medals, five Vir Chakras, five Shaurya Chakra, one Yudh Seva Medal, 78 Sena Medals, 28 Vishisht Seva Medals, 17 Mentioned-in-Dispatches, and 280 COAS commendation cards.[14]

Gallery[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 "History". indianarmy.nic.in. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
  2. Singh, Sushant (8 August 2016). "TA, a back-up for the Army". The Indian Express. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  3. Singh, Suchet Vir (3 July 2022). "A look at the Territorial Army — The Indian military's task force hit by the Manipur landslide". ThePrint. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Singh, Surender (27 June 2020). Territorial Army: Gateway for Civilians to Army. Notion Press. ISBN 978-1-64899-704-4. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
  5. "Indian Defence Force", The Times, 3 March 1917
  6. "Compulsory Service in India: The New Defence Force", The Times, 7 March 1917
  7. "Indian Auxiliary Force: First Year's Success", The Times, 12 October 1921
  8. 8.0 8.1 Singh, Surender (27 June 2020). "Territorial Army: Gateway for Civilians to Army". Notion Press. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 "Territorial Army Celebrates 68th Raising Day". Press Information Bureau. 9 October 2017. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  10. "India: A Letter for Chou". Time. 30 November 1959. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  11. 11.0 11.1 "The Territorial Army Act, 1948". Indian Kanoon. 1 September 1948. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
  12. "Army Act, 1950". Bareactslive.com. 20 May 1950. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
  13. 13.0 13.1 HT correspondent (5 June 2006). "Territorial army: The Terriers". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 Nagial, Balwan Singh (8 October 2021). "Territorial Army-A citizen force". The Times of India. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  15. 15.0 15.1 FE Online (5 March 2020). "To counter Chinese intrusions, Territorial Army to get a bigger role". Financial Express. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  16. 16.0 16.1 Arya, Shishir (7 October 2019). "600 jobs to go as 118 Territorial Army unit leaves Sitabuldi Fort". The Times of India. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  17. 17.0 17.1 PIB Mumbai (9 October 2020). "Territorial Army Troops celebrate 72nd Raising Day". Press Information Bureau. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  18. India Today Web Desk (30 November 2018). "Facts about Indian Territorial Army: 5 Terriers India is proud to have". India Today. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  19. "BPCL Kochi Refinery engineer honoured". The New Indian Express. 8 July 2010. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  20. NE Now News (20 July 2022). "Manipur landslide: Search operations called off, final death tally stands at 61". North East Now. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  21. Siliguri Times (30 July 2022). "Ministry of Defence issues clarification on compensation to the jawans who were Martyred in recent Manipur landslides". Siliguri Times. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  22. FP Explainers (11 July 2022). "Explained: Why is India's Territorial Army recruiting Chinese interpreters?". Firstpost. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  23. Philip, Snehesh Alex (2 March 2020). "Territorial Army set for overhaul as voluntary force gets its first director general". ThePrint. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  24. Times News Network (18 December 2019). "Territorial Army begins week-long tech exercise". The Times of India. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  25. Naigal, Balwan (6 June 2021). "Contribution of Ecological Task Force of Indian Army". The Times of India. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  26. Asian News International (19 November 2018). "Ganga Task Force helps clean Ganga". Business Standard. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  27. Singh, Sushant (9 January 2018). "Territorial Army battalion of ex-Armymen to clean Ganga". The Indian Express. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  28. Press Trust of India (6 June 2022). "Five Railway Territorial Army units to be disbanded". The Hindu. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  29. Times News Network (11 March 2009). "Territorial Army mock exercise at civil hospital". The Times of India. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  30. Hasnain, Syed Ata (26 January 2019). "Ashok Chakra to Kashmiri soldier puts the focus on Ikhwan & its role in fighting terror". ThePrint. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  31. "Territorial Army celebrates its 66th raising day". The Economic Times. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  32. PIB Delhi (9 October 2021). "Indian Army Celebrates 72nd Territorial Army Day on 09 Oct 2021". Press Information Bureau. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
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