Question

What is the age criteria for the Territorial Army?
A. 18-25
B. 20-25
C. 18-42
D. 18-32

Answer 1

Hint: The Indian Territorial Army (TA) is characterized as the second line of defense after the Regular Indian Army; it is not usually termed as a profession, occupation, or any source of employment. It is only implied for those individuals who are pursuing civilian professions; in fact, a beneficial business or independent work is an essential factor for joining the Territorial Army.

Complete answer:
The Territorial Army is a segment of the conventional Indian Army. The current role of the Territorial Army is to mitigate the Regular Army from static obligations and help a civil organization in managing normal cataclysms along with providing support of basic administrations in circumstances where the life of the common people is influenced or the security of the nation is under threat, and to give units to the Regular Army as and when required. Moreover, for joining the Territorial Army, one must be above 18 years old and below 42 years.

Thus, option (C) is correct.

Additional information: A candidate applying for the post must be a university graduate and employed either at Central government jobs or self-employed or must be working as a private employee. Volunteers of the Territorial Army, as a rule, serve in uniform for 2–3 months consistently so they can carry weapons for the nation’s defense amidst critical need or public crises.

Note: The Territorial Army has a strength of around 40,000 first-line soldiers and 160,000-second line soldiers, containing departmental Territorial Army units, for example, railroad, IOC, ONGC, media transmission, and General Hospital, and the non-departmental Territorial Army units of infantry legions and biological contingents associated to different infantry regiments.