Raksha Mantri chairs meeting of PCC for MoD on Territorial Army

Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh chaired a meeting of the Parliamentary Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Defence in New Delhi on August 6, 2026, with discussions focusing on the ‘Territorial Army’. During the meeting, senior officials presented a detailed briefing on the Territorial Army’s mandate, role and key achievements to the committee members, who offered valuable suggestions to further strengthen the force & enhance its overall effectiveness.

In his address, Raksha Mantri described the Territorial Army’s contribution as “significant” in advancing Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi-led Government’s vision of ‘Viksit Bharat’. He emphasised that while the role of the defence forces revolves primarily around security-related aspects, the Territorial Army contributes in other areas such as environmental conservation and social work as well. “The Territorial Army is a living embodiment of the ‘Citizen-Soldier’ concept. While its members engage in civilian pursuits, they simultaneously don the uniform to safeguard the borders and maintain internal security,” he said.

Shri Singh asserted that the Territorial Army creates surge capacity for the defence forces by building a reserve of trained soldiers who can be deployed immediately whenever the need arises. He added that when the personnel complete their tenure and return to civilian life, they act as a vibrant bridge between society and the military, inspiring the people, especially the youth, to join the defence forces.

Raksha Rajya Mantri Sanjay Seth, Chief of Defence Staff General NS Raja Subramani, Chief of the Army Staff General Dhiraj Seth, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, Secretary (Defence Production) Sanjeev Kumar, Secretary (Defence Finance) Vishvajit Sahay and other senior officers attended the meeting.(UPDATED ON 6TH AUGUST 2026)