Army Chief Gets Green Light to Deploy 14 Territorial Army Battalions
New Delhi, 10th May 2025: In a strategic move to bolster national security and ease the burden on regular forces, the Ministry of Defence has granted the Army Chief authority to mobilize 14 Territorial Army (TA) battalions for active deployment across the country. This approval remains in effect until February 2028, defence sources confirmed.
The deployment of these battalions—comprising approximately 10,000 personnel—aims to support the overstretched Indian Army in carrying out static security duties, safeguarding critical infrastructure, and assisting civilian authorities during humanitarian crises and natural disasters.
“These Territorial Army units are being activated to complement regular troops in operational and relief roles. It’s a timely decision, especially considering the current personnel shortfall,” a senior defence official told on the condition of anonymity.
The Indian Army, with a sanctioned strength of about 11.5 lakh personnel, is grappling with significant manpower gaps—an estimated shortage of 8,400 officers and over 93,000 soldiers. Adding to this strain is the annual retirement of nearly 60,000 soldiers, while the current intake under the Agnipath recruitment scheme stands at just 40,000. Of those recruited, only 25% will be retained for long-term service beyond four years.
The Territorial Army, formed on October 9, 1949, serves as a volunteer reserve force of civilian soldiers. Over the decades, TA units have been deployed in key military operations, including the wars of 1962, 1965, and 1971, as well as counter-insurgency missions in Punjab during the 1980s and the Kargil conflict in 1999.
With increased internal and external security challenges, the activation of TA battalions is seen as a critical step to ensure operational readiness and rapid response capability across India’s vast and diverse terrain.
