TERRITORIAL ARMY

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Context

• Ministry of Defence, Department of Military Affairs,has approved amendment to existing cadre management provisions for Women Officers of the Territorial Army (TA).

Background

• Territorial Army had commenced Commissioning of Women Officers in TA since 2019.
• Thus far these Woman Officers were able to serve Ecological Task Force Units, TA Oil sector units and TA Railway Engineer Regiment.
• The Territorial Army is based on a Citizen Soldiers’ army concept and officers undergo Annual Training on basic military skills while remaining gainfully employed in civilian life.

Details

• Women Officers of the Territorial Army will now be posted with Engineer Regiments of the Territorial Army serving along the Line of Control and as staff officers at TA Group Headquarters/ Directorate General of Territorial Army at New Delhi.

Aim

• This progressive policy measure is aimed at enhancing the scope of employment of Women Officers as also meet their professional aspirations since they will now serve and train under the same conditions as their male counterparts in a wider range of units and appointments including serving in challenging field conditions and in important staff appointments.

History

• The English raised the Territorial Army in 1920 through Indian Territorial Act of 1920 and comprised of two wings namely – ‘The Auxiliary Force’ for Europeans & Anglo-Indians, and ‘The Indian Territorial Force’ for Indian Volunteers.
• After Independence the Territorial Army Act was passed in 1948 and the first Indian Governor General Shri C Rajagopalachari formally inaugurated the Territorial Army on 09 October 1949.
• This day is celebrated as the TA Day every year.

Units

• The Territorial Army initially had various types of units such as Armed Regt (TA), Infantry Battalion (TA), Air Defence (TA),Med Regt (TA), Engineers Field Park Coy (TA), Signal Regiment (TA), EME Workshop (TA), Coast Battery (TA), ASC GT Coy (TA), ASC Compo Platoon (TA), AMC Field Ambulance (TA).
• By 1972 these units have either been disbanded or converted to Regular Army except Inf Bn (TA).
• Presently the Territorial Army has a strength of fifty thousand personnel comprising of Departmental TA units such as Railway, IOC, ONGC, and Non Departmental TA units of Infantry Battalion (TA) including Home & Hearth Battalions, Ecological Battalion (TA) affiliated to various Infantry Regiments and Engineer Regiment (TA) for maintenance of Line of Control Fencing.
• Now, one Composite Eco Task Force for National Mission for Clean Ganga is under raising at Allahabad.

Relation with regular army

• The Territorial Army is a part of Regular Army.
• Its present role is to relieve the Regular Army from static duties and assist Civil Administration in dealing with natural calamities and maintenance of essential services in situations where life of the communities is affected or the security of the Country is threatened and to provide units for Regular Army as and when required.
• The TA units were actively involved in 1962, 1965 and 1971 operations.
• The “Terriers” have also taken part in OP PAWAN in Sri lanka, OP RAKSHAK in Punjab and J&K, OP RHINO and OP BAJRANG in the North East in a most active manner.

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1922420