The Indian Army ( IA, Hindi : भारतीय थलसेना,
Bhāratīya Thalsēnā ) is the land-based branch
and the largest component of the Indian Armed
Forces. The President of India serves as the de
jure Commander-in-Chief of the army while
the de facto leadership lies with Minister of
Defence, and it is commanded by the Chief of
Army Staff (COAS), who is a four-star general.
Two officers have been conferred the rank of
Field marshal, a Five-star rank , which is a
ceremonial position of great honour. The
Indian Army originated from the armies of the
East India Company , which eventually became
the British Indian Army and finally the national
army after independence . The units and
regiments of the Indian Army have diverse
histories and have participated in a number of
battles and campaigns across the world,
earning a large number of battle and theatre
honours before and after Independence. [3]
The primary mission of the Indian Army is to
ensure national security and unity, defending
the nation from external aggression and
threats, and maintaining peace and security
within its borders. It conducts humanitarian
rescue operations during natural calamities
and other disturbances, like Operation Surya
Hope , and can also be requisitioned by the
government to cope with internal threats. It is
a major component of national power
alongside the Indian Navy and the Indian Air
Force .[4] The army has been involved in four
wars with neighbouring Pakistan and one with
China. Other major operations undertaken by
the army include Operation Vijay , Operation
Meghdoot and Operation Cactus. Apart from
conflicts, the army has conducted large peace
time exercises like Operation Brasstacks and
Exercise Shoorveer, and it has also been an
active participant in numerous United Nations
peacekeeping missions including the ones in
Cyprus, Lebanon, Congo, Angola, Cambodia,
Vietnam, Namibia, El Salvador, Liberia,
Mozambique and Somalia.
The Indian Army has a regimental system, but
is operationally and geographically divided into
seven commands , with the basic field
formation being a division . It is an all-
volunteer force and comprises more than 80%
of the country's active defence personnel. It is
one of the largest standing armies in the
world, with 1,129,900 active troops and
960,000 reserve troops. [5] The army has
embarked on an infantry modernisation
programme known as Futuristic Infantry
Soldier As a System ( F-INSAS ), and is also
upgrading and acquiring new assets for its
armoured, artillery and aviation branches. [6][7]
[8]
