India’s Defence Ministry has granted the Army Chief the authority to mobilise the Territorial Army (TA) also known as ‘Terriers’ amid escalating tensions with Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack of April 22. A notification issued on May 6 as per the Rule 33 of the Territorial Army Rules, 1948, the government of India has authorised the Army Chief to call every officer and enrolled personnel of the Territorial Army as needed, either for guard duties or for full embodiment to support and supplement the regular armed forces.

“In exercise of the powers conferred by Rule 33 of the Territorial Army Rule 1948, the Central Government empowers Chief of the Army Staff to exercise the powers under that rule to call out every officer and every enrolled person of the Territorial Army to provide for essential guard or to be embodied for the purpose of supporting or supplementing the regular army,” a circular issued by the Ministry of Defence read.

What is Territorial Army?

The Territorial Army, known for its role as a secondary force to the regular Army, comprises volunteers who receive military training for national emergencies and internal security duties.

Civilians can apply to become Territorial Army officers. The eligibility conditions include Indian citizenship, age range between 18 and 42 years, graduation from any recognised university, physically and mentally fit, and gainfully employed. However, serving members of the regular armed forces and not eligible to apply as officers in the Territorial Army.

However, while serving in the Territorial Army can provide valuable skills and experiences, it is not typically considered a full-time job in the traditional sense, as it does not provide a consistent salary or benefits.

Which Indian Celebrities are a part of the Territorial Army?

Prominent personalities such as Malayalam actor Mohanlal, Bollywood actor Nana Patekar, Indian cricketers Kapil Dev, Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni, Iconic Indian shooter Abhinav Bindra, and politicians Anurag Thakur and Sachin Pilot hold honorary or active positions in the TA.

History of India’s Territorial Army

The Territorial Army was inaugurated by India’s first Governor General C Rajagopalachari on October 9, 1949. This day is celebrated as ‘Territorial Army Day’ every year in honour of the ‘Citizens Army’.

The Territorial Army began with multiple units such as Infantry Battalion, Air Defence, Medical Regiment, Engineers Field Park Company, Signal Regiment, etc. However, these units were disbanded or converted into the regular army by 1972, except for Infantry Battalion.

There are 32 Infantry Battalions of the Territorial Army. Of this, 14 Infantry Battalions or approximately 14,000 soldiers can be deployed in areas under the Southern Command, Eastern Command, Western Command, Central Command, Northern Command, South Western Command, Andaman and Nicobar Command, and Army Training Command.

Currently, Territorial Army is a part of the regular army and provides units for the Indian Army as and when needed.

When was Territorial Army used in the past?

Territorial Army units have been part of operations in 1962, 1965, and 1971. The Territorial Army also went to Sri Lanka during Operation Pawan, Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir during Operation Rakshak, and the north-east region during Operation Rhino and Operation Bajrang.

India neutralises multiple drones and missile attacks from Pakistan

On the night of May 8-9, India repelled a massive wave of over 50 drones launched by Pakistan in what appeared to be a coordinated attempt to target at least 15 Indian military installations. Major areas affected included Udhampur, Samba, Jammu, Akhnoor, Nagrota, and Pathankot, where the Indian Army responded with a massive counter-drone operation using advanced air defence systems like S-400 ‘Sudarshan Chakra’, L-70 guns, Zu-23mm, Schilka platforms, and counter-UAS equipment.

In a statement, the Defence Ministry mentioned, “The threats were swiftly neutralised using kinetic and non-kinetic capabilities”, and underscored that the country remains “fully prepared to defend its sovereignty and ensure the safety of its people”.

The Indian Armed Forces successfully neutralised Pakistan military’s attempts of a large-scale drone and missile attack on multiple Indian military installations across Northern and Western India during the night of May 7-8 and an Air Defence system at Lahore was neutralised.

The Pakistani attack followed India’s Operation Sindoor early on May 7, where Indian Military conducted missile strikes on nine locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK). India stated that these strikes targeted terrorist infrastructure linked to groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, in retaliation for an April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 civilians.