Context:
Raksha Mantri recently approved posting of Women Officers of the Territorial Army along the Line of Control.
Relevance:
GS II: Security Challenges
About Territorial Army
- The Territorial Army (TA) was established by the British through the Indian Territorial Act of 1920 and was organized into two wings, ‘The Auxiliary Force’ for Europeans & Anglo-Indians and ‘The Indian Territorial Force’ for Indian Volunteers.
- The Territorial Army Act was passed in 1948 after India’s Independence, and the TA was officially inaugurated on October 9, 1949, by the first Indian Governor General, C Rajagopalachari.
- Motto: The motto of the Territorial Army of India is ‘Savdhani Va Shoorta’ (Vigilance and Valour).
Role:
- The TA’s primary role is to relieve the Regular Army from static duties and support civil administration in dealing with natural disasters and maintenance of essential services in situations where life is affected or national security is threatened.
- The TA also provides units for the Regular Army when required.
Eligibility:
- Any citizen aged between 18-42 is eligible to join the Territorial Army of India.
- The pensionable age for soldiers below officer’s rank is 15 years.
Operations:
- The TA units were actively involved in operations during the 1962, 1965, and 1971 wars.
- Since 2020, the focus is to recalibrate the TA for better operational and intelligence roles, especially in the Andaman Islands.
-Source: The Hindu
