New Delhi: The defence ministry, in a formal notification Friday, expanded the authority of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), empowering him to mobilise the Territorial Army (TA), as and when he deems fit, to support the Indian Army.
The ministry issued the order under Rule 33 of the Territorial Army Rules, 1948. Rule 33 empowers the Army Chief to call for every officer and enrolled person with the Territorial Army to assist in essential guard duties or be “embodied” to support or supplement the regular Army.
The notification is issued every three years, noted military law specialist Major Navdeep Singh (Retd) highlighted.
“Regarding the notification on Territorial Army that’s floating around, it’s a routine notification issued every 3 years for financial sanction purposes,” Singh posted on ‘X’. “The government can always mobilise the TA and powers are delegated to the Army Chief from time to time and to the extent as provided in the notification(s).”
Singh, the most decorated officer in the history of the Territorial Army, has received eleven commendations from the defence services, with one after his release from service.
According to the circular issued, of the 32 existing Territorial Army infantry battalions, 14 are earmarked for possible deployment or “embodiment” across various commands, including the Southern, Eastern, Western, Central, Northern, South Western, Andaman and Nicobar Commands, and the Army Training Command (ARTRAC). It clarified that TA units’ actual “embodiment” shall be ordered based on the availability of funds in the defence budget or through the reallocation of internal savings. In cases where ministries, other than the Ministry of Defence, request their deployment, the requesting ministry bears the associated costs, which the defence ministry’s budget does not reflect.
The order enabling this mobilisation will remain in force for three years, starting 10 February 2025 and ending 9 February 2028.
The notification comes after a high-stakes security incident on Thursday night, when Indian forces thwarted a drone offensive that Pakistan orchestrated from across the border. The assault with over 50 drones aimed at military installations marked a significant escalation.
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Why Territorial Army is ‘second line of defence’
The Territorial Army is a voluntary, part-time auxiliary force of trained civilian professionals and reservists serving in non-combat roles during peacetime but embodied during emergencies or wartime.
Often referred to as the “second line of defence”, the TA provides critical support in logistics, civil-military cooperation, disaster relief, and essential services maintenance.
According to its official mandate, TA exists to relieve the regular Army from static duties, assist civil administration during natural calamities and emergencies, maintain essential services in situations which affect civilian life or national security, and provide additional units for the Indian Army when required. While the TA is not a full-time career service, its members receive the same pay and allowances as regular Army personnel of equivalent rank during active duty or training.
The last mass mobilisation of the TA was during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020–2021, when the units assisted civil authorities in logistics, quarantine operations, supply distribution, and public health infrastructure maintenance during the national lockdowns.
Historically, TA personnel have remained instrumental in managing infrastructure crises, flood relief, earthquake response, and insurgency support roles in restive regions.
Sachin Pilot & Abhinav Bindra in Territorial Army
Over the years, the Territorial Army has drawn several high-profile public figures, including sportspersons, actors, and politicians.
In 2011, the honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel was bestowed upon former Indian cricket captain M.S. Dhoni, inducting him into the 106 TA Battalion (Para), the Parachute Regiment. Similarly, cricket legend Kapil Dev received the honorary rank in 2008, joining the 150 TA (Infantry) Battalion, the Punjab Regiment.
In politics, Sachin Pilot became the first sitting Member of Parliament to be commissioned as a regular TA officer in 2008 when inducted into the Territorial Army as a lieutenant. Another MP and Union minister, Anurag Thakur, joined as a lieutenant in 2016. Later, the Captain rank.
Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra, known for his achievements in shooting, joined a TA battalion of the Sikh Regiment as a Lieutenant Colonel in 2011.
In cinema, celebrated actor Mohanlal Viswanathan Nair was awarded the honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel in 2009. He underwent basic military training as part of his induction.
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)
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