HISTORY AND INTRODUCTION

The English raised the Territorial Army in 1920 through Indian Territorial Act of 1920 and it was 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. It is celebrated with the Prime Minister's TA Day Parade every year.

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 Pl (TA), AMC Field Ambulance (TA), by 1972 these units have either been disbanded or converted to Regular Army except Inf Bn (TA).

The Territorial Army is part of Regular Army and 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 Regulars Army as and when required.

Presently the Territorial Army has a strength of approx. 40000 persons comprising of Departmental TA units such as Railway, IOC, ONGC, Telecommunication and General Hospital and the non Departmental TA units of Infantry Bn (TA) and Ecological Bn (TA) affiliated to various Infantry Regiments.

The TA units were actively involved in 1962, 1965 and 1971 operations. The "Terriers" have also taken part in OP-PAWAN in Srilanka, OP RAKSHAK in Punjab & J&K, OP RHINO and OP BAJRANG in the North East in a most active manner. Departmental units came to the aid of the civil authorities during Industrial unrest and natural calamities, most famous being the earthquake in Latoor (Maharashtra), Uttarkashi in Garhwal Himalaya and the Super Cyclone in Orissa. The Ecological units have arrested man made environmental degradation by planting 2.5 crore trees over 20,000 hectare of land in Mussoori Hills & Pithoragarh (UP), Bikaner & Jaisalmer (Rajasthan) and ravines of Chambal in Madhya Pradesh.

Men of the TA have taken active part in various adventure activities, famous one being scaling of Mt Tengchen Khang (6010 Mtr) in West Sikkim by Jt-Indo-British TA Mountaineering Expedition in May 1998.

The officer and men of the Territorial Army have been decorated for their gallantry and distinguished services. So far they have earned 2 Ati Vishisht Seva Medals (AVSM), 15 VSM, 5 Vir Chakras, 13 Sena Medals, 25 Mentioned-in-Dispatches and 43 COAS commendation cards.

Many industrialists, politicians and eminent personalities have been members of the TA. The force also has the honour to appoint 11 officers as Hony ADC to the President of India.

• TA Group Headquarters

• TA Gp HQ, Southern Command Pune

• TA Gp HQ, Eastern Command Calcutta

• TA Gp HQ, Western Command Chandimandir

• TA Gp HQ, Central Command Lucknow

• TA Gp HQ, Northern Command Udhampur

• Dir DSC, South West Command Jaipur

Join as an Officer

Eligibility

Process

• Gainfully employed candidates fulfilling the eligibility criteria can apply in response to advertisements published in leading national newspaper & The Employment News in June – July and December – January each year. Applications are to be sent to the concerned TA Group Headquarters. After processing of applications, the eligible candidates are called for Preliminary Interview Boards held at respective TA Group Headquarters (Pune, Kolkata, Chandigarh, Lucknow). Selected candidates go through the SSB Interview, Medical Board & Police Verification. The President of India. grants the successful candidates commission by the President of India.

• Ex - Defence service officers may also join the TA. The required to apply directly to Additional Directorate General of Territorial Army and appear before the Board of Officers presided by the Additional Director General of Territorial Army at New Delhi . Selected Officers are to be cleared by the Medical Boards before the officer's are granted commission in the TA. All such officers are given the credit of their previous commissioned service on joining the Territorial Army.

Join as a JCO

Eligibility

Process

• Gainfully employed civil candidates with above qualifications can join TA as direct entry JCO's.

• Ex JCO's or their equivalent of three services, may also join Territorial Army as JCO's. The application forms can be taken from the recruiting offices, TA Group Headquarters at Commands and from Area/Sub Area Headquarters. Forms duly completed to be sent to the Unit where commission is sought.

• All candidates will be interviewed initially by the Commanding Officer of the unit and then interviewed by the Sub Area/ Area Command Headquarters. The application of the recommended candidate will then be processed at the Addl. Directorate General of Territorial Army, Army Headquarters.

Join as a Jawan

Eligibility

Process

Report to unit or the Recruitment Office on designated dates for tests as per laid down procedures. Selected candidates have to go through the Medical Board and Police Verification.

Recruiting- Zonal- Divisions- Recruiting will be on Zonal basis as under:-

• Zone- I The states of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab and the Union Territory of Delhi and Chandigarh .

• Zone - II The states of Bihar , Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhatisgarh and Uttarakhand.

• Zone - III The states of Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Tripura, Nagaland, Sikkim, West Bengal, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and UT of Andaman & Nicobar Island.

• Zone - IV The states of Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Kerela, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Goa and Union Territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu, Lakshadweep and Pondicherry.

Training

Training in Infantry TA is carried out on Urban and provincial systems.

Urban systems of training : Training is carried out on weekends and holidays. Four hours training is counted as one day.

Recruit Training : 32 days in the first year only including a camp of not less than 4 days if the trainee volunteers with the written consent of his employer, if any.

Annual Training : A minimum of 30 days extendable up to a maximum of 60 days including a camp for 14 days.

Post Commission Training : All Officers are required to undergo 10 weeks of Post commission Training within two years of their commissioning.

Voluntary Training to gain additional military training, provided the trainee Volunteers with the written consent of the employer, if any.

Provincial systems of training

Recruit Training : For a continuous period of 30 days in the first year only.

Annual Training : For a continuous period of two calendar months in the first and subsequent years.

Post commission Training : 10 weeks post commission training is compulsory within two years of commissioning.

Voluntary Training to gain additional military training, provided the trainee volunteers with the written consent of his employer, if any.

Departmental TA

Recruit Training : This is carried out for a continuous period of 30 days in the first year in a camp. No recruit training is there for Medical and Nursing Officers of General Hospital (TA).

Annual Training : In the first and subsequent years annual training is carried out for a continuous period of 30 days in a camp. For Officers of General Hospital (TA), this is carried out on weekends, without a camp, four hours training being counted as one day.

Post Commission Training : 30 days post commission training within two years of commissioning is compulsory for all Departmental TA Officers, except Medical Officers of Railway (TA) units and Officers of General Hospitals (TA).

Voluntary Training : Departmental TA personnel who volunteer with the specific consent of their departments can be attached for voluntary training.

Service Embodiment

SERVICE EMBODIMENT All personnel of infantry and Departmental TA will be called out for service embodiment by the Central Government or the authority empowered by it to do so, on the eve of national Emergency or for Internal Security duties and training exercises. Failure to report for service on such occasions is punishable under the Territorial Army Act 1948.

Territorial Army personnel are entitled to the following benefits from the Defence Estimates during embodiment for training and service embodiment:

• A goods train manned by TA personnel during 1971 war operating in Eastern Sector.

• Pay and allowances and Service Benefits - When embodied as applicable to Regular Army.

• Camp allowance of Rs 10/- per day when attending camps or courses of instruction (For Officers).

• Increment On completion of 365 days of physical service.

• Bounty Rs 450/- to Officers Rs 300/- for JCOs and Rs 175/- to Other Ranks of infantry units, on completion of minimum 80% of annual training camp every year.

• TA Group Insurance benefits to personnel of non-departmental TA units.

• Terminal gratuity : After completing 5 years of physical service or 10 years of total service to personnel other than civil Govt. employees.

• Pension : On Completion of 20 years physical service to officers and 15 years to JCOs/OR other than civil Govt. employees.

• Family/disability Pension is also admissible as applicable to Regular Army.

• Leave as admissible to Regular Army personnel during embodiment of service and appointment on permanent instructional staff.

• Accumulation and encashment of leave accrued during the above period, as per terms and conditions laid down from time to time.

• Ex-servicemen status to pensioners and disability pension holders and Gallantry award winners.

• Free Medical treatment to self and dependants in respect of all pension holders.

• Outfit allowance: @Rs 6000/- at the time of commissioning and after every 7 years of physical service or 10 years of commissioned service to officers, Rs 3200/- to Honorary Commissioned officers and Rs 500/- to JCOs.

• Medals and Awards as applicable to Regular Army. In addition, TA officers are entitled to TA Decoration on completion of 20 years and JCOs and OR to TA medal on completion of 12 years meritorious service.

Incentives and Service Benefits

Certain state Govts and departments give the following incentives to their employees:

• Pay and allowances in addition to the military basic pay and allowances as applicable.

• PSpecial increments on completion of 3 to 5 Annual training camps.

• Additional DA at higher rates during service embodiments by certain departments.

• One time incentive grant in certain departments and one time honorarium by state govts.

• Mufti allowance and lump sum Daily allowance in departments like ONGC and IOC.

• Cash award varying from Rs 2500/- to 5000/- on award of TA Decoration/TA Medal.

• Certain tax exemptions by some state Govts.

• Choice station posting.

• Pay and allowances of rank as applicable to Regular Army.

• Camp allowance of Rs. 10/- for Officers while attending training.

• Free rations, CSD facilities and medical facilities to self and dependants when embodied for training, military service or when posted on permanent staff.

• Facilities of leave, leave encashment, accommodation and leave travel concessions when embodied for military service or on permanent Staff.

• Promotion to higher ranks as per authorisation.

• Entitlement to pension for Officers with 20 years and JCOs and other ranks with 15 years aggregate embodied service (actual Physical service).

• Ex-servicemen status and free medical facilities to pensioners.

• Terminal gratuity at the time or discharge/retirement to those who do not earn pension (Other than civil govt. employees).

• Entitlement to all medals and awards as applicable to the regular army.

For further details, Contact:-

Addl Directorate General,
GS Branch, 'L' Block,
Army HQ, New Delhi-110011

or

HQ TA GP at Pune, Lucknow, Chandimandir
and Calcutta or nearest TA Unit.