All you need to know about the Territorial Army!

This is a rough translation/transcription of the interview between Major Madhan Kumar and Chanakya TV. For the uninitiated, Major Madhan Kumar is a retired Indian army officer and currently an entrepreneur. He also co-founded Armour of Care, an NGO along with several other ex-military and civilians whose prime focus is helping those in need of food and essentials; they did a lot of great work in the lockdown period. Major Madhan is an alumnus of the prestigious Officers' Training Academy in Chennai. He passed out of the Academy in 2003, and subsequently was commissioned into the Indian Army. Thereon he served the Army for six years, with a majority of his posting in the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir. The officer has also served in the Delta force, part of Rashtriya Rifles deployed in Doda district for counterterrorism operations.

This interview has been translated for the viewers/followers of Major Madhan Kumar. Please leave a comment if you have anything to say. Thanks

Q: Hello, sir. The first question is our forces are trying to prevent war and being defensive. This is generating a lot of opinions among the public. On a regional basis, what is the percentage of enrolments from different states in the Army, and what is the enrolment percentage from Tamil Nadu?

Major Madhan Kumar: The armed forces consist of the Army, Navy, and Air Force. There are officer-level cadres, junior officers, Jawans. The Madras Regiment is one of the oldest regiments in the Indian Army. There are approximately 28 battalions in the Madras Regiment. We have people from Tamil Nadu, Andhra, Telengana, Kerala, Karnataka as part of this regiment. Apart from this, there is an Engineering Group known as MEG - Madras Engineering Group. This is headquartered in Bengaluru. MEG also consists of members from the five southern Indian states. Recruitment was done based on the domicile, and this has been in place since the British era. So if a soldier from Tamil Nadu is enrolling in the Army, he would join MEG or the Madras Regiment first. He is also given an option to join the engineering division, say for road construction, building bridges in war zones, or handling equipment. For example, you might have heard about the road being constructed in Ladakh for the fast movement of goods. The engineering division does this, and if one wants to do this kind of work, they can enroll with the MEG. This is domicile-based and is available for each state in India. For example, Punjab Regiment is for people living in Punjab, and people from any other state cannot enroll in this regiment and vice versa. Same for Assam Regiment. 

If you look at officer cadre, there is no such restriction based on domicile. They can join any regiment after they clear the Combined Defence Services exam or the NDA or the exam held by OTA - technical entry for Officer Cadre.

The majority of officer cadre enrollments come from Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. As of now, the participation from TN in Officer Cadre is hugely less, I do not have official data, but from experience, I can say. In 2003, there were ten people from TN in my batch of 200. Now it has gone down to 6 or 7. This is because of a lack of awareness, and youngsters are not looking at this side as a career option mainly because they are unaware of the various options available for them in the Armed Forces. It is my hope and wish that more youngsters join the Armed Forces in more significant numbers.

Q: There is something called the Territorial Army, and there is absolutely no or minimum awareness among the general public about this. There is a general misconceived notion that if one joins the Army, all they have to do is fight at the borders and fight wars. So please explain about the Territorial Army; how can youngsters make this a career option?

Major Madhan Kumar: The Territorial Army is an excellent career opportunity. I am not in favour of mandatory military service as in China. I feel that people should join the military only if they wish to; only then the quality and passion of the soldiers would be seen. During the British rule, in 1917, they inducted what is known as the Territorial Forces. Indian soldiers took part in World War 1 then. There were many 'fighter' soldiers, and when they were relieved of their duties, they were assigned roles known as static duties or garrison duties at military stations - taking care of these posts/maintaining them.

The Territorial Army is the second line of defence. The first line of defence is the Army. TA supports the first line. The TA functioned as a separate regiment till 1972 - The Army and the territorial Army operated as two separate entities. The TA merged with the Army in 1972. There were 43 battalions in the TA, and each battalion had 16 officers. The TA is on par with the Army in all respects - whether it is pay or allowances or benefits, only the responsibilities vary. 

You need not spend full time with the TA; you can choose to spend all your time or specific time periods in a year when serving for the TA. It is more like a part-time service.

There are different entry points - those who have been in government jobs (state/central), banking jobs can enroll themselves in the TA. All they need to do is get a NOC from their department head. 

The general public can also be a part of the TA. I know many of them are very passionate about the uniforms of the armed forces but feel they may have missed the bus because of their age, or they may have family commitments or can only spare less time for this - this is an excellent opportunity for civilians to participate. The age range is from 18 yrs, and the upper limit is 42 yrs. 

Eligibility criteria - 

1. You should be an Indian citizen

2. You must be between the age of 18 and 42 yrs

3. This was exclusively only for men until last year, but now women can enroll. The first batch of women will be joining this year

You must serve at least two months a year in the Territorial Army. One month will go for training; the posting is similar to the regular Army - you can be posted anywhere in India from Kashmir to Kanya Kumari, depending on the requirement of the battalions.

This is a very flexible process. If you run a business or are into farming or a doctor, engineer, or your father is into agriculture and you are assisting him, you can take help of the clause for Gainful Employment - i.e., you are already in some other occupation. For this, you are not required to submit any salary certificate. 

For example, if I am a farmer's son and I wish to enroll in the Territorial Army and I depend on the salary that comes from farming, in this case, my father can sign an affidavit that I am working with him on his farm/s and an amount is what he gains as yearly income. This is an officer-level entry. The salaries and benefits/allowances match that of the regular Army; you can grow up to the level of a Lt Col rank depending on the number of years remaining in your service. The earlier you enroll, the higher you can grow in the ranks - you can even become a Major or Brigadier or even General. 

The upper age limit is 42 years, but the idea is part-time, a minimum of 2 months at a stretch or six months; depending on your performance, you can also be absorbed for full-time service. 

Q: We've heard that if we want to join the Army, the selection is very tough, and there are many exams/selection criteria before we get in. When it comes to selection for the Territorial Army, is there a difference in the selection process, or is it the same as the regular ArmyArmy?

Major Madhan Kumar: I can see that most of them are worried about the physical fitness test, which stops them from even applying. This is not entirely true. 

So to join the TA, you have to first write an entrance exam. You have to clear three papers.

Eligibility for officer level entry:

1. You must hold a graduate degree from an institution recognised by the Govt of India - marks don't matter

2. You must already be employed/gainfully employed - drawing a salary

3. Self-employed people can submit PAN/Aadhar card details along with an affidavit

4. The exam is conducted once a year

5. The first level is a written exam

6. This is followed by PIB - a pre-selection interview (10-15 mins)

7. Once you clear this interview, you will be sent to another interview by SSB (Service Selection Board). This interview goes on for five days. 

Please do not be misled that since this is a territorial army and hence the preparation level can be relaxed, no, it is not like that. You need to prepare well. Those who have gone through the SSB will know what goes on in those five days. 

First, there is a psychometric analysis/test; they test your attitude. You do not need to pretend to be a superhero, be true to yourself and the country; you are tested on your stress-taking ability.

They also test your knowledge of current affairs, the constitution, the country/democracy - a group discussion on such topics.

After all this, a merit list is released. If you get selected, then a medical exam is conducted. Once you clear this as well, you can join the TA as an Officer.

You will be given a basic training at IMA, Dehradun (Indian Military Academy), followed by a regular training in their battalion. After this, the cycle begins - you could serve for two months in a year or six months in a year.

Yes, physical fitness is important, but I would like to stress on the fact that you must give this a try and not just worry that you might not clear the fitness test. Everyone needs to be physically fit for a normal life too. If you think you are overweight or unable to do certain things, you surely can overcome all these during training, do not make these thoughts cloud your decision to join the TA. The training will surely mould you into a perfect soldier so do not give up hope already. 

Q: Some people may be worried about the compensation. Are they on par with the regular ArmyArmy? Is there any difference? 

Major Madhan Kumar: As I mentioned above, in the year 1972, the TA was inducted into the regular Army. So they are not different entities. They all report to the Chief of the Army Staff. There is no difference in salaries or allowances; your parents, spouse, and children can avail of medical facilities. You must be aware of the other facilities available.

Q: If someone from TN is selected through these interviews and exams, where will he/she be placed? Will it be in one's domicile state or will it be outside? Is it possible to choose which regiment/region one wants to be posted in? 

Major Madhan Kumar: Yes, you can choose the battalion you want to be part of. If someone from TN gets selected, they can choose to be part of the Madras Regiment. The battalion can be posted anywhere at any point in time, so you do not have a say in which region you want to be posted in but you can choose the battalion you want to be part of. This is a very dynamic matter. On an average if you serve for say 5 years, for at least 2-2.5 years you will be posted in what is known as field area (Kashmir or North East) and for 2-2.5 years, you may be posted in Peace area such as TN or HP where there is no "war" like situation. 

Once you have completed say 2 years of service, you can request for a choice posting if you want to say return to your native/hometown. They can consider your request. There is no segregation like state govts. The moment you are enrolled, you must get into the mindset that you will serve for the country wherever you are posted at be it in the high mountains or the coasts or anywhere under the sky, that attitude is all that matters. But that doesn't mean that you will always be posted in field areas, many  battalions have been posted to maintain ecological balance in different regions. You have TA battalions in Delhi, Tamil Nadu etc. but you cannot demand for these postings.

Q: Once someone has enrolled in the TA, is it mandatory to serve 2 months every year or can it be adjusted? Are there any strict rules to this?

Major Madhan Kumar: There is something called disembodiment. You have to serve for 2 months in a year compulsorily. But if there is an emergency situation and you cannot fulfil the service, you can represent that to your superiors and get it postponed to the next year. In those 2 months, one month goes in basic military training and it is compulsory. You can request your battalion in case of emergency but you cannot take a break for a long time also. If you work for a private firm or a govt organisation, your company/place of work needs to give a NOC that they are ok to let you fulfil service and they cannot fire you saying this as a reason. It is for 2 months a year and for the pride and honour of donning the uniform and serving the nation, I am sure you can do a small compromise on a personal level. You also get a salary for that. 

Q: If someone enrolls in the TA and finds that he/she wants to do this full-time, is it possible to get absorbed full-time? In what circumstances is this possible?

Major Madhan Kumar: Yes it is possible and they follow a merit system for this. The commanding officer (CO) will evaluate your performance, your attitude - civilians can relate to this if I use the term Performance Appraisal. If the candidate is doing well, they will surely absorb them full-time into the service. But once you enroll full-time, you cannot shift to the part-time service after that. This is called Permanent Embodiment. Once you get into it, you become a regular military officer, you will follow the same rules as a regular officer. 

Q: How does one prepare for the TA exams? Is it similar to UPSC or govt exams or is it simpler?

Major Madhan Kumar: You needn't prepare as much as a UPSC Group 1 exam, not much into facts. It is a simple examination. You will be tested for your basic understanding. 

You have one paper on reasoning ability and arithmetic (50 marks each) - 2 hours in total. You can prepare using the books for CDS exams. You can find it online and in bookstores

The second paper is on general knowledge (about the country, states, current affairs, constitution of India, functioning of Parliament, roles and responsibilities of MPs and MLAs etc.)  and English - basic understanding of the language. You need to focus only what happened post-Independence (Post 1947) - for example abrogation of Article 370, Indo-China relations, Indo-Pak relations are some current affairs topics - 2 hour exam

This exam is conducted in Hyderabad and Bangalore in the South of India. Chennai is not a centre not because we are been sidelined, there are not enough participants, this is a sad truth and hence the location of the exam centres. There was an exam centre in Chennai but since the number of participants reduced over time, they decided to do away with it. 

After this is the PIB - pre-selection interview and this is conducted in the respective command headquarters. Since we are in the South, our HQ is in Pune. Expenses for travel and stay will be reimbursed by the govt for the first attempt. For the further attempts, different concessions are available not exactly a full reimbursement. 

At the PIB, the idea is to see if you are eligible for the SSB level interviews. Your eligibility does not depend on your background or the English-speaking ability or the school you went to, it is just to see if you are passionate, honest, patriotic, the level of stress you can endure and your attitude basically. Once you are selected, you are sent to the SSB interview. The closest SSB for TN is in Bengaluru, near Brigade Road. 

The 5-day interview is held here, it includes a group discussion, group task etc. You can get more information online, on YouTube as well. According to me, it is not a very tough exam, an average student can surely crack this, someone say in the IT field around 30-35 yrs of age can crack this with a 3-month preparation. 

Q: Some people had mentioned that the training period is very adventurous and interesting. How important is it for a youngster's physical and mental health? Can you tell us a bit about that? 

Major Madhan Kumar: One of my seniors, someone who I admire a lot, you may have heard his speeches, he is currently serving as Lt General, none other than A Arun sir. 

Someone at the OTA asked him once, what does the Army give you. Lt Gen Arun was an IIT rank holder, he could have very well decided to realize the American dream or anything he wished. He said, everything else can give you a job, but the army can give you a life. You will acquire friends from all across the country, every nook and corner - comradeship which is greater than anything else. You will have a large and wonderful extended family, you will have a great level of physical fitness. 

I still miss wearing my uniform - it is a different feeling to wear the uniform and get ready for work. No tension, stress can affect you - you will be trained for everything. It is a life-changing experience. I would like to tell you all that you should give this a shot, even the 2-month service will change your life. 

Q: On a serious note, with the current situation at the border, it seems like India will be facing Pakistan and China in a war-like situation and it only seems that it will get worse with time. At such a time, how important is it for an Indian citizen to be a part of the army and to support the army and is it a time to be serious?

Major Madhan Kumar: In the perspective of the TA, they are the second line of defence, they surely do support the front line forces. I am not sure how many of you know but if you remember the 2013 floods of Uttarakhand or the 2018 floods of Kerala or Odisha or the Vardah Cyclone of 2016 in Chennai, from Kashmir to Kanyakumari - the contribution of the TA to the country is immense, they have saved countless lives, they work with great involvement. 

A group of us former military people, doctors, civilians are part of a group called Armour of Care and we work with the TA. They are a very important force. With the current situation in mind, there is scope for more recruitment and surely not less. As I mentioned earlier, women are also being inducted now. The specialised forces will be more, they will run hospitals and the like. The expansion is surely there in the coming days. With the current situation at the borders, a stronger force is the need of the hour. 

I also recommend that state govt employees show interest in this because there is a general dislike/incorrect perception about those working in the state govt services. With this, they can work effectively because they will be trained to be so. And this will only help our country achieve greater progress sooner. 

There are 43 battalions of the TA, there will be several opportunities in the coming future. 

Q: A lot of youngsters hit the gym and are very keen on physical fitness. If someone wants to boost their fitness levels, how can they do it before their exams?

Major Madhan Kumar: There's a general trend to enroll in gyms especially during the New Year because many people take a resolution to lose weight or up their fitness, I heard this from a friend who runs a gym. Fitness is a journey, you need to allocate time for it every single day just like you have a fixed time for eating, sleeping etc. The lifestyle of today is very different from what it was in the past. You may have everything - money, degrees and what not but health is something we have to continuously nurture. You can allocate a minimum of 30 minutes every day - be it walking, jogging or yoga. Once you start doing it, you will get into the routine. Basic fitness means running 3km nonstop - you should be able to do this, this is kind of a benchmark for basic fitness, not eligibility for TA. You can start with walking, do it for yourself, 30 minutes per day, start small and increase accordingly. Excuses can be aplenty but make that effort. 

For more information, visit https://www.jointerritorialarmy.gov.in/