Top 15 Indian Army Facts: Uncommon to Common People

Indian army as we all know is one of the most prestigious organizations of our country. Also known as the “Bhartiya Thalsena”, it was founded on the April 1, 1895. It commences the land based operations and resists any trespassing on the Indian soil. Till date, it is regarded as the third best army in the world. Moreover, they also exhibit many peace and rescue operations along with the national security. The post of the commander –in- chief of the Indian army is being held by the President of India. With a devoting motto of “service before self” the Indian army truly stands by its motives and instincts. But what makes them unique? Let’s find out.

1. Under the government ruled by the East India Company, the Indian army saw its start in 1776. Assam Rifles is the oldest known paramilitary force of India, which was formed in 1835.

2. Known as the 61st Cavalry Regiment, Indian Army consists of a horse regiment and it stands, one among the only three cavalries of such kind in the world. The 11th Cavalry Regiment and the Household Cavalry Regiment present in Moscow are the other two regiments of such kind.

3. One of the most impressive regiments of India i.e. the Gurkha regiments were divided during the Independence.

4. One of the most impressing Indian army facts is that the non-vegetarian food is not served in any mess anywhere on Tuesdays and Thursdays to pay respect to god Hanuman and Pir BaBa. In addition to this, a Mandir parade is also held every week where the whole unit including their families is involved in the prayers.

5. One of the coolest Indian army facts or the other armed forces of India is that there are no reservation policies in the recruitment of a Jawan or an officer. It is the most unbiased institution in India, where everyone is treated equally irrespective of their caste, religion, creed or gender. This fact makes these services a unique platform in every sense.

6. When it comes to the high altitudes battlefields, Indian army holds the honor of securing the highest battlefields in the world. The Siachen glacier, situated at an altitude of about 5000 meters above the sea level is being protected by the Indian Army 24×7. This kind of devotion clearly proves that the Indian army does not stand back any kind of intrusion made on the Indian soil anywhere. Moreover, Indian Jawans are considered to be the best in the high altitudes combat.

6. Indian army holds the record for building the highest bridge in the world. Built in August 1982, the Bailey bridge is located in the Ladakh region in the Himalayan Mountains. It is situated between the two rivers named Dras and Suru. With the help of the MES (Military engineering services), the Indian army is always prepared towards any kind of construction required whether its road, terrain or something else. Also, the Indian army plays a major role in the rehabilitation or construction of the disaster-affected regions.

7. One of the biggest achievements of the Indian Army was highlighted in the early September 1965. The 11th infantry division of Pakistan attacked, crossing the Indian border and captured the Khemkaran region in Punjab. The Indian army responded in a very brave manner and flooded the whole sugar cane field in the night. As a result, the enemy tanks were neutralized and they slowed down. Due to this, the Indian army succeeded to destroy 97 Pakistani tanks, also named Patton tanks. Even today those tanks are being kept in the Khemkaran. Due to this magnificent victory, the area itself was named Patton Nagar.

Whenever this battle is remembered in history, the name of the war hero Havaldar PVC Abdul Hamid is always taken as he was the inspiration behind Indian victory in this battle. This brave soldier with his extreme valor took over the tanks all by himself. He took his jeep and advanced towards the tanks. Undertaking the heavy shelling and firing, this man shot down three tanks, one after the other, but was killed before he could turn for another one. He was awarded the Param veer chakra posthumously.

8. You must be knowing about the US seal commandos as they are always in the news. But most of us don’t know that the Indian armed forces also sustain such Special Forces which are always ready for any kind of combat situation. Talking about the Indian army, Para Commandos are one of the most well-trained commandos in the world. Established in 1966, it is a parachute-based regiment of the Indian Army, which commences operations on the higher terrains. Another force known as Ghatak force is an Infantry platoon which is present in every infantry battalion of India. Special frontier force is another kind of special force which are intended to be used in the covert operations.

9. The president’s bodyguard is another armored regiment of the Indian army, which is the oldest among all the other regiments. Formed in 1773, currently, they are situated at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.

10 The Indian army has been one of the biggest contributors in the US peacekeeping missions.

11. The Indian army has played a major role in the formation of India which we know today.

12. After the independence, the Portuguese who were the rulers of Goa refused to surrender. In 1961, the Indian army carried out an operation and captured Goa in about 36 hours. In addition to it, an operation named POLO was carried out when the Nizam of Hyderabad refused to join the Indian Union. Indian army succeeded in the mission in just 5 days and Hyderabad became the part of the Indian union.

There have been enormous incidents when the Indian soldiers have shown their bravery, be it the battle of Longewala in 1971, or any other battle, they had stood by their ideals and standards.

13. The first person to achieve the field marshal rank was General Sam Manekshaw. It is the highest rank in the Indian Army.

Want to know where we stand today? Well, here is the detail. Our Army owns a series of Agni missiles, of which Agni V sustains the capacity to reach over 5000 km. In addition to it, the Agni VI missile is being under construction which is an inter-continental ballistic missile, which sustains the capacity to reach over 10000 km. Also, it is being suspected that India is developing Surya Missiles which have the capacity to reach over 10,000 – 20,000 km.

Another missile named Brahmos-2 (name origin from Brahmaputra + Moscow) is a collaborated missile being built by India and Russia together. It can go up to a heart throbbing speed of 7 Mach and is considered to be the fastest among all the hypersonic missiles in the world.

No doubt we owe them a lot, and the respect we have for the Indian Army will never perish!