| Territorial Army | |
|---|---|
&sq=Qlik&lang=&file=File:Territorial_Army_Crest.svg) Crest of the Territorial Army | |
| Active | 1949 – present |
| Country |  India |
| Allegiance | Republic of India |
| Branch |  Indian Army |
| Type | Army |
| Role | Reserve |
| Size | 40,000+[1] |
| TA Group Headquarters |
|
| Nickname(s) | Terriers |
| Motto(s) | Savdhani Va Shoorta (Vigilance and Valour) |
| Anniversaries | 9 October (TA Day) |
| Engagements | 1962 India-China War 1965 Indo-Pak war 1971 Indo-Pakistani War Operation Pawan Operation Rakshak Kargil War |
| Website | jointerritorialarmy |
| Commanders | |
| Director General | Lt Gen Rajesh Pushkar |
| Chief of Defence Staff | General Anil Chauhan |
| Insignia | |
| Insignia | Chain of Lotus and the Lion Capital of Ashoka |
| Flag | &sq=Qlik&lang=&file=File:Territorial_Army_(Flag).svg) |
The Territorial Army (TA) is a military reserve force composed of part-time volunteers who provide support services to the Indian Army. It consists of officers, junior commissioned officers, non-commissioned officers and other personnel who hold ranks identical to those in the Indian Army, and also maintains civilian occupations. The primary 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" and to "provide units for the 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 the Indian Territorial Force (1920–1948). It is commanded by a three-star ranking Director General of the Territorial Army, typically a Lieutenant General-ranking officer deputed from the 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—a departmental unit consisting of employees of public sector undertakings (PSU) and the Indian Railway and ex-servicemen; and a non-departmental unit consisting of privately employed civilians.
The TA has participated in all of India's wars since the country's independence, including the Sino-Indian War of 1962, Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, and the Kargil War. The TA has 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.
Individuals seeking to join the TA must be employed in mainstay civilian professions or be self-employed. Members are required to undergo two months of mandatory paid service every year. Although the TA states that it "does not provide a full time career", soldiers can choose to remain embodied for longer periods. TA personnel are entitled to all benefits available to the Indian Army, except gratuity and pension which are determined by the number of full years served.[3]
- ^ "History". indianarmy.nic.in. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
- ^ Singh, Sushant (8 August 2016). "TA, a back-up for the Army". The Indian Express. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
- ^ 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.