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India has activated its Territorial Army (TA) as part of Operation Sindoor, a military response to heightened tensions with Pakistan following a deadly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on 22 April, which claimed 26 lives. The Indian armed forces launched precision strikes on nine terrorist bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, prompting retaliatory drone and missile attacks from Pakistan, which were thwarted.

 

In the wake of the ongoing military conflict between India and Pakistan, the Centre on Friday empowered the Indian Army Chief to call out "every officer and every enrolled person" of the Territorial Army (TA) to provide for essential guard or to be embodied to support or supplement the regular Army.

 

The Ministry of Defence's Department of Military Affairs issued a notification dated May 6 which says, "This order shall remain in force for three years with effect from 10 Feb 2025 to 09 Feb 2028".

 

What is the Territorial Army - TA?

 

The TA, established in 1949, comprises nearly 50,000 volunteers who balance civilian careers with military service. It has historically supported the Indian Army in wars, counter-insurgency operations, disaster relief, and ecological tasks.   

 

The Defence Ministry has granted the Chief of the Army Staff expanded authority to mobilise the TA, with 14 battalions deployed across key commands until 2028 to support the regular army. These part-time volunteers, known as “Terriers,” will handle static duties, freeing up regular troops for frontline operations amid ongoing cross-border firing along the Line of Control (LoC).

 

Let's take a look at the history of the Territorial Army?  

 

 

As per the official website of the Territorial Army, The Territorial Army (TA) of India includes 65 Departmental TA units (Railways, IOC, ONGC) and Non-Departmental units such as Infantry Battalions (TA), Home & Hearth Battalions, Ecological Battalions, and Engineer Regiments (TA) tasked with maintaining Line of Control fencing. A Composite Eco Task Force for the National Mission for Clean Ganga is being established in Allahabad to promote ecological preservation and afforestation.

 

The TA's primary role is to relieve the Regular Army from static duties, assist civil authorities during natural calamities, maintain essential services, and provide units for the Regular Army when required. The TA has been actively involved in major operations, including the 1962, 1965, and 1971 wars, as well as counter-insurgency missions like Operation Pawan in Sri Lanka, Operation Rakshak in Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir, and Operations Rhino and Bajrang in the Northeast. Departmental units have supported civil authorities during industrial unrest and natural disasters, notably the Latur earthquake, Uttarkashi earthquake, and the Odisha Super Cyclone. Ecological units have planted approximately 6.65 crore trees across 66,000 hectares in regions like Mussoorie, Shimla, Jaisalmer, and Samba, combating environmental degradation. 

 

The TA has a distinguished record of gallantry and service, with personnel earning 1 Kirti Chakra, 5 Ati Vishisht Seva Medals, 5 Vir Chakras, 5 Shourya Chakras, 1 Yudh Seva Medal, 74 Sena Medals, 28 Vishist Seva Medals, 17 Mentions-in-Dispatches, and 266 Chief of the Army Staff Commendation Cards. TA personnel have also excelled in adventure activities, notably scaling Mt Tengchen Khang (6,010 metres) during the Indo-British TA Mountaineering Expedition in May 1998. 

 

Also Read: 500 Pak drones hit 24 Indian cities in 210-min attack: Sources

 

The Territorial Army Act, enacted on 18 August 1948, formalised the TA's structure, and it was officially inaugurated on 9 October 1949 by India’s first Governor-General, Shri C Rajagopalachari. Celebrated annually as TA Day, this date raises awareness of the ‘Citizen’s Army.’ The first TA Week was observed from 8–15 November 1952. Initially, the TA included diverse units such as Armed Regiments, Air Defence, Medical Regiments, and Coast Batteries, but by 1972, most were disbanded or integrated into the Regular Army, except for Infantry Battalions (TA). 

 

The TA’s origins trace back to the Indian Territorial Force, established under a bill introduced by Sir Charles Monroe, Commander-in-Chief of the Forces in India, on 27 August 1920. This force was designed as a second line of defence to support the Regular Army, addressing the limitations of the Indian Defence Force (IDF) of 1917, which was an experimental measure constrained by a lack of trained personnel.

 

The IDF, enacted under the Indian Defence Force Act of 1917, required universities to provide contingents, with notable figures like Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose (Calcutta University Corps, 1918) and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (Allahabad University Corps) participating. Their training proved invaluable, with Bose later leading the Indian National Army. Mahatma Gandhi also served as a Sergeant Major in the Indian Ambulance Corps during the Boer War and Zulu Rebellion in South Africa (1898, 1905). 

 

The IDF comprised two branches: the European Branch, known as the Auxiliary Force, and the Indian Branch, which evolved into the Indian Territorial Force, designated for service within India’s frontiers. The TA’s roots extend further back to the Volunteer Force raised during the First War of Independence in 1857, marking the genesis of India’s citizen-soldier tradition.