Territorial Army Raising Day 2021: From MS Dhoni to Kapil Dev, personalities who have been officers in the force

Territorial Army Raising Day is marked and observed on 9 October, every year. In 1920, the Britishers raised the Territorial Army (TA) through the Indian Territorial Act of 1920. Post-Independence, the Territorial Army Act was passed in the year 1948. While the first Indian Governor-General C Rajagopalachari formally initiated the Territorial Army on 9 October, 1949. Since then, the day has been celebrated and recognised as Territorial Army Raising Day .

The first Territorial Army week was celebrated from 8 to 15 November in 1952 to create awareness of the existence of the ‘Citizen’s Army’. Currently, the Territorial Army has a strength of approximately forty thousand personnel that comprises 65 Departmental and Non-Departmental units who have their roots through throughout the country.

Are you aware that several prominent athletes, actors, and politicians have also been a part of Territorial Amry and have served the nation? Take a look at a few names below:

MS Dhoni: Cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni is a paratrooper in the Territory Army unit of the Indian Army’s Parachute Regiment. He has been conferred the honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel for his outstanding contribution to Sports. In 2015, he had undergone training under the Para Brigade.

Last month, in September, the Union defence ministry informed that they have constituted a high-level expert committee for a comprehensive review of the National Cadet Corps (NCC). Among the many members, Dhoni along with Anand Mahindra (Mahindra group chairman) was made a part of the committee. This committee will be under the chairmanship of former MP Baijayant Panda .

Abhinav Bindra: Iconic Indian shooter Bindra, who made history by winning a gold medal at the 2008 Olympic games, was made an honorary Lieutenant Colonel by the Indian Territorial Army in the year 2011. He was given this honour for his contribution to the field of shooting.

Anurag Singh Thakur: Union Minister Anurag Singh Thakur was commissioned into the Territorial Army as a Lieutenant in July 2016. He had cleared the Services Selection Board (SSB) and was found fit for joining the Territorial Army, following which he was commissioned in 124 Inf Bn (TA) SIKH.

Earlier this year, on 16 March, he became the first serving MP to be promoted as Captain in the TA. Other known politicians who are part of the regular force in the TA are Manvendra Singh (former BJP MP) and Sachin Pilot (Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister).

Mohanlal Vishwanath Nair: Mohanlal has been in the honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Territorial Army. The renowned actor, who has acted in almost 300 Malayalam films, is currently the brand ambassador for the 122 Infantry Battalion of the Madras Regiment.

Kapil Dev: Former Indian Cricketer Kapil Dev, who led Team India to the 1983 World Cup victory, joined TA as an honorary lieutenant colonel.

Other known names like Milkha Singh , Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, and Deepak Rao (scientist, author, and physician) have also been a part of TA.