What is Territorial Army? Centre activates 14 battalions to support regular Army amid rising tensions with Pakistan

NEW DELHI: Amid escalating tensions with Pakistan following Operation Sindoor - a precision strike by the Indian Army against terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir - the Centre has empowered the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) to call out every officer and enrolled person of the Territorial Army to provide for national security and supplement the regular army. This authority was granted under Rule 33 of the Territorial Army Rules, 1948, effective from February 10, 2025, to February 9, 2028.

The announcement came hours after India successfully thwarted a series of missile and drone attacks from Pakistan on military bases and several cities close to the border.

Out of the existing 32 infantry battalions, 14 have been sanctioned for embodiment and deployment across various commands, including Southern, Eastern, Western, Central, Northern, South Western, Andaman and Nicobar, and the Army Training Command (ARTRAC). The embodiment of these battalions will be budget-dependent, with costs borne by the Ministry of Defence or other ministries if deployed at their request.

What is Territorial Army

The Territorial Army (TA) of India is a vital military reserve force composed of part-time volunteers who support the Indian Army. Established in 1949 under the Territorial Army Act of 1948, it serves as a supplementary force to the regular army, relieving it from static duties and assisting civil administration during natural calamities and emergencies.

The TA comprises officers, junior commissioned officers, non-commissioned officers, and other ranks who hold military ranks identical to those in the Indian Army while maintaining their civilian occupations.

Composition and strength
The TA currently has a strength of over 40,000 personnel organised into 32 infantry battalions and various engineer and departmental units.

These units include employees from public sector undertakings (PSUs), Indian Railways, and ex-servicemen, as well as privately employed civilians.

The force is nicknamed the 'Terriers' and operates under the motto 'Savdhani Va Shoorta' (Vigilance and Valour).

It is commanded by a Director General of Territorial Army, a Lieutenant General-ranked officer deputed from the Indian Army, and falls under the Chief of Defence Staff through the Department of Military Affairs in the Ministry of Defence.

Roles and usage
The primary role of the Territorial Army is to:

• Relieve the regular army from static and non-combat duties.
• Assist civil administration during natural disasters and emergencies.
• Provide units and personnel to the regular army as and when required.

By law, the TA is an integral part of the Indian Army and can be called upon to perform military service when embodied or attached to regular forces.

The TA personnel can be deployed for supporting civil power, guarding essential installations, or supplementing regular forces during wartime or emergencies. However, their liability to serve is generally confined within the territorial limits of India unless otherwise ordered by the government

Historically, the TA has actively participated in all major Indian conflicts since Independence, including the 1962 Sino-Indian War, the 1965 and 1971 Indo-Pak wars, the Kargil War, and various counter-insurgency and peacekeeping operations such as Operation Pawan in Sri Lanka and Operation Rakshak in Jammu and Kashmir.

How TA will support Army
The Chief of Army Staff now has explicit powers to mobilize the entire Territorial Army force to:

• Supplement the regular army during heightened security situations.
• Undertake essential guard duties and static defense roles.
• Support operational and intelligence-gathering roles to reduce the burden on regular forces.
• Assist in maintaining internal security and civil administration support during crises.

This empowerment allows the COAS to rapidly augment the regular army's manpower and capabilities with trained part-time soldiers who can be embodied for longer durations if required. It provides a cost-effective force multiplier, leveraging civilian skills and local knowledge while freeing regular troops for frontline duties.

The Territorial Army boosts the regular Army in several ways:

• Force multiplier: By taking over static and rear-area duties, the TA frees regular troops for active combat and operational deployment.
• Cost-effective: As a part-time force, the TA reduces the financial burden of maintaining a large standing army.
• Specialised skills: Departmental units bring in expertise from sectors like railways, oil, and environment, enhancing operational support.
• Local knowledge: TA personnel often hail from the regions they serve, providing valuable intelligence and familiarity with the terrain.
• Rapid expansion capability: In times of crisis, the TA can be quickly embodied and mobilized to supplement the regular army’s strength.

The recent move to recruit Mandarin-language graduates into the TA highlights its evolving role in intelligence and strategic capabilities, particularly in the context of China-India border tensions.