Territorial Army to commemorate platinum jubilee with 5,500-km expedition from Siachen Glacier to Indira Point

The Territorial Army (TA) has launched the first ever expedition from Siachen Glacier in Ladakh to Indira Point in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, traversing a distance of approximately 5,500 km through land, air and sea by cycling, sailing and scuba diving. The expedition is being conducted to commemorate platinum jubilee year of the Territorial Army as it will complete 75 years on October 9, 2024. 

The 21-member expedition was flagged off from Siachen Glacier on July 30, 2024. The expedition team reached New Delhi on July 21, 2024, where it paid homage to the National War Memorial. The expedition was flagged off from New Delhi for the remainder of its journey, to Indira Point, by Lieutenant General Rakesh Kapoor, Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Information Systems and Coordination). 

Lieutenant General Raju Baijal, Director General of Territorial Army, and other senior officials from the Army also participated in the event. 

The expedition will now cycle through the entire length of the nation till Chennai from where the team will move to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. After traversing southwards through the Nicobar Islands, the expedition will terminate at Indira Point, the southernmost tip of India, where the national flag will be hoisted underwater at a depth of 40 metres. 

The team will be conducting public awareness activities on a range of issues, including national integration and environment consciousness, en route to Indira Point. 

The expedition team is honouring the veterans and families of military personnel who laid down their lives in the line of duty. 

The Territorial Army has a wide presence throughout the length and breadth of the country. Fostering a civil-military connect is also one of the objectives of the expedition.

The Territorial Army was raised in 1949 after the enactment of Territorial Army Act 1948. Over the decades, it has evolved and expanded in a larger force which is intrinsic in all spheres of operations conducted by the Indian Army. The Territorial Army has actively participated in all major operations carried out by the Indian Army and earned numerous gallantry and other awards.

The Territorial Army has further played a yeoman role in nation building, environment management and ecological restoration.