Territorial Army

• With China and India holding multiple rounds of talks on the border row along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the Territorial Army (TA) has inducted Mandarin experts to act as interpreters during border personnel meetings between the two sides.

ABOUT TERRITORIAL ARMY

• It is an arm of the Indian Army, established under TA Act 1948.
• Raised on 9 October, 1949, the TA is a volunteer force of India that can be quickly mobilised and utilised during war as well as “no-war, no-peace” scenarios in regions with a history of unrest — for instance, Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) and the Northeast.
• Thus, it relieves Regular Army from static duties and assist Civil Administration in dealing with natural calamities etc.
• It enables young citizens (18 to 42 years age) to serve in a military environment without having to sacrifice their primary professions.
• The TA has also been undertaking ecological tasks around the country and has raised 10 Ecological Task Force (ETF) battalions that solely undertake ecology-related work around the country.
  • The first such battalion was raised in December 1982.
  • About more than nine crore trees have been planted on around 90,000 hectares of land that had been allotted for the work by various state governments.
• The TA’s annual target includes planting roughly 40-45 lakh trees across the country.
• TA personnel can be decorated for their gallantry services through Kirti Chakra, Vir Chakra, Shourya Chakra, etc.