Indian Army Units and divisions: What is the Indian Army?

The Indian Army is vast, and varied, with multiple options for entry, for both men and women.

The exam conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is considered to be a popular way to get into the National Defence Academy (NDA) and the Naval Academy (NA), this article comprehensively explores the various sectors available for aspiring individuals.

Let's look at the Indian Army and its various disections.

• Infantry - Ground troops engaging in close-contact combat.

• The Armoured Corp -  A specialised military institution conducting armoured warfare.

• The Regiment of Artillery - The combat force delivering significant firepower in all ground operations.

• The Mechanised Infantry - Infantry units outfitted with armoured personnel carriers (APCs) or infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) for both transportation and combat purposes.

• Army Aviation Corps - The Army Aviation Corps carries out combat search and rescue (CSAR), artillery transportation, combat logistics support, military prisoner transport, and medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) operations during wartime and in response to natural disasters.

• Corps of Army Air Defence (AAD) - The AAD safeguards the airspace of India from enemy aircraft and missiles, with particular focus on altitudes below 5,000 feet.

• Army Ordnance Corps - The logistics role of the Army Ordnance Corps encompasses the processes of supplying and acquiring all necessary materials to establish and sustain a proficient and capable fighting force.

• Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME) - The corps is tasked with a range of responsibilities concerning the design, development, testing, inspection, and refurbishment of weapon systems and equipment.

• Army Supply Corps - The ASC primarily handles the provisioning, acquisition, and distribution of supplies including food rations, fresh and dry consumables, FOL (Fuels, Oils, Lubricants), hygiene products, and hospital comfort items to the Army, Air Force, and when necessary, to the Navy and other paramilitary forces.

• Corps of Signals - The corps provides vital communication assistance to field formations, facilitating effective coordination and command control of units during operations.

• Army Medical Corps - Offers medical services to all Army personnel, both active duty and retired, as well as their families.

• Corps of Engineers - A combat support branch that delivers combat engineering assistance, constructs infrastructure for armed forces and other defence entities, ensures connectivity along borders, and aids civil authorities during natural disasters.

• Intelligence Corps - It undertakes counter-intelligence operations aimed at identifying and neutralising adversary intelligence threats within the Army. It offers counsel to defence policy makers regarding political-military affairs and offers perspectives on organising, training, and equipping forces during times of crises.

• Army Dental Corps - It provides dental services to all Army personnel, serving and veterans, along with their families.

• Corps of Military Police - The CMP undergoes training to manage prisoners of war and oversee traffic regulation, along with handling essential telecommunication equipment such as telephone exchanges.

• Army Education Corps - The AEC provides education at the SSC level, training in foreign and regional languages, communication skills, Army Cadet College cadre classes, certificate education, map reading, cyber-tech training, and various other subjects.

• Military Nursing Service - They engage in diverse tasks, such as delivering medical assistance in military hospitals, joining disaster relief missions, and supporting public health campaigns.

• Territorial Army - Its current mandate includes aiding Civil Administration during natural disasters, ensuring the continuity of essential services during crises impacting communities, and offering units to the Regular Army as needed for national security purposes.

• Pioneer Corps - The Pioneer Corps supplies disciplined and well-trained personnel when civilian labour is unavailable or its utilisation is deemed unsuitable due to security concerns.

• Judge Advocate General’s Department - It provides legal help to the military in all aspects, in particular advising the presiding officers of courts-martial on military law. 

• Army Postal Service Corps - It offers postal, remittance, savings, and insurance services to personnel of the Army, Indian Navy, Air Force, and paramilitary forces.

• Defence Security Corps - The role of the Defence Security Corps is to ensure security for cantonments, military facilities, and other defence production sites, including those of the Air Force and Navy.

• Remount and Veterinary Corps - It is responsible for breeding, rearing and training of all animals used in the army.