Kapil Dev joins Territorial Army as Brand Ambassador

Army Chief General Deepak Kapoor decorated former cricketer Kapil Dev with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel after the latter voluntarily joined the Territorial Army during a ceremony in New Delhi on Wednesday.

The former cricketer has been roped in to join the Armed Forces by the Territorial Army (TA), which is celebrating its 59th anniversary this year. The 1983 World Cup winning captain joined as an honorary officer. He donned the Army uniform at the glittering ceremony.

While Kapil will not take part in the rigorous training, he will palpably act as a brand ambassador for the Armed Forces. Kapil's wife Romi Dev and daughter Amiya Dev were also present on the occasion.
Kapil Dev joins Territorial Army
Territorial Army

“I am proud I have been given this rank. It took six months for the things to materialise, with the file moving from the home ministry to the defence ministry,” said Kapil, as his wife and daughter looked on.
Cricketer Kapil Dev now an honorary army officer

"I am today proud to wear an Army uniform and at this age to serve the country in this uniform is a proud moment for me," Kapil Dev said soon after he was formally commissioned into the Punjab Regiment of the citizen's army here.
Lieutenant Colonel Kapil Dev

The Territorial Army is part of the regular Army and has various roles, including relieving the regular personnel from static duties and assistance to the civil administration in times of calamities. TA personnel can also voluntarily serve in active duty for short durations and several officers and men have won gallantry awards for exceptional bravery.
Interestingly, the Territorial Army, which has a sanctioned strength of just over 40,000 personnel, was keen on roping in young MPs and MLAs to join its ranks to set an example for youngsters. A presentation was also held at the Parliament house last year but the force did not receive any applications from the elected representatives.
Kapil joins TA

Territorial Army recruits ESM as officers

Known as Citizens’ Army, the Territorial Army (TA) is composed of 31 Infantry Battalions and 19 Departmental TA Units such as Railway Engineer Regiments, Oil Sector and Ecological, Signals and General Hospitals Units. The TA which carries out operational tasks, internal security duties and aid to civil authorities in support of the regular Army, has been playing a commendable role. The TA units have also been embodied for the Operation Parakram and deployed with various defence units including protection of essential service and oil and natural gas installations in Gujarat.

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.

By the late 1990s the Territorial Army had 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 report of the KP Singh Deo Committee on TA and the recommendations of the Group of Ministers (GoM) to have been considered and implemented. This would make the TA a visible platform for disciplined and trained citizens from all walks of life to support the regular Army. The strength of the TA recommended to be 80,000- 100,000 by the year 2007 from its strength of 40,085 as in 2006. What is the present status? Can it be conjectured that the strength is 1,00,000 on paper only.

The Government had also accepted the provision of 20 per cent reserve of TA officers to remove the deficiency of Company Commanders in Infantry Battalions (TA). Women to be inducted in non- departmental as well as departmental units of TA, initially in the officers rank and, later, in the lower ranks. At present, women are serving only in the General Hospital and Signal Regiments of the TA. Compulsory inclusion of government employees in the TA were to be explored with the inclusion of private sector partnership, keeping in view the terrorist activities and danger to strategic enterprises. TA and ESM were to play a major role in the proposed 'Trans-Himalayan Development Authority'.

Territorial Army
Evolution of territorial Army
Territorial Army recruits male Graduate citizens of India and EX service men as officers

Comment: Territorial Army is supposed to be the reserve army. Who are running the organisation? Whether Indian Army or Ministry of Defence? It is shame that the organisation does not have a website or any information about recruitment. What is the fun of giving information in wikipedia? The organisation needs to wake up from its slumber and hibernation and give good and wide publicity so as to attract young talent to join the TA.

Achievements of Capt Navdeep Singh

Captain Navdeep Singh is a record holder for the highest number of decorations in the history of the Indian Territorial Army, a volunteer force in which gainfully employed and self employed professionals receive military training for a few days in a year so that in the event of a war or a national emergency they can bear arms for the defence of the nation. Singh is also the youngest person connected with the Territorial Army to have been the recipient of five commendations. Singh has recently been awarded with his sixth decoration.

Capt Navdeep Singh is a lawyer by profession and is based at the High Court of the States of Punjab & Haryana in Chandigarh, India.

He is credited with the execution of implementation of the Indian Tolls (Army & Air Force) Act, 1901 all over India. This Act which was passed in 1901 provides for toll tax exemption to private vehicles of defence personnel irrespective of whether they are on duty or not. There was a controversy over implementation of the Act on private toll operators and private toll roads and bridges but the controversy was settled in 2003 when on a case taken up by him, the Indian Ministry of Road Transport & Highways clarified that the Act was valid even for the present times and toll exemption was to be granted to both ‘on duty’ and ‘off duty’ defence personnel.

Toll tax exemption to defence personnel was later challenged in the Punjab & Haryana High Court by way of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) but the petition was dismissed by the Court which upheld the exemption. The Indian Tolls (Army & Air Force) Act, 1901 was then Challenged in the Supreme Court of India but the petition was dismissed by the Supreme Court too, thus upholding the provisions of the Act which provides a very special privilege to the military community.

He is also credited with effective implementation of entertainment tax exemption to serving defence personnel in cinemas and theatres. Most of the Indian states offer entertainment tax exemption to men in uniform but the rule was seldom followed or recognized by cinema halls.

He has also worked for the benefit of WWII veterans and authored a book, "Soldiers Know Your Rights", which was released by General J J Singh, India’s former Chief of the Army Staff. Another lesser known book called "Fauj Hai Mauj", (Military is fun) is written by him. Click on links below:

Captain Navdeep Singh
Indian Army Benefits Blog

Comment: Are ESM exempted from Toll Tax? If so what is the authority? What states do not give entertainment tax exemption to serving soldiers? I wonder if it is applicable in Southern States?

Capt Navdeep Singh clarifies:
"No, toll exemption is not available to veterans since the Indian Tolls (Army & Air Force) Act, 1901, only caters to serving defence personnel. The idea behind the Act was to take care of the frequent movement of military personnel and their families throughout the country. There was an NHAI letter in circulation which stated that the exemption was available to ESM too, but the said letter has been confirmed to be a fake one. Even the Hon'ble Supreme Court had only upheld exemption to serving personnel. However, veterans would be happy to learn that the Govt of India, as a goodwill gesture, has exempted all gallantry award winners including veterans from payment of toll on NHs. The said exemption to gallantry awardees is only available on National Highways unlike the exemption under the above mentioned Act of 1901 which is applicable on all roads and bridges in India.

Entertainment Tax is a state subject. Most of the States offer such exemption to defence personnel in cinemas and multiplexes. However, to check whether a particular State offers such exemption or not, you may have to contact the Excise and Taxation Deptt of that particular State or have a look at that State's Entertainment Duty/ Tax Rules."