Army Day – The Army Day is celebrated on 15th January every year at the headquarters of the Army Command and Delhi in order to pay the reverence to the brave heroes of the nation who sacrificed their live to protect our nation and build peace and perseverance. Particularly, this day is celebrated to remember the valiant spirit of the Indian Army Lieutenant General Kodandera Madappa Cariappa who was the first Commander-in-Chief of the Independent India in 1949. During the Indo-Pakistan War of 1947, the Indian Forces were headed by General K.M. Cariappa on the Western Front. Because of his leadership qualities and exceptional personality, he was awarded with the General Service Medal, Indian Independence Medal, Order of the British Empire, 1939-1945 Star, Burma Star, War Medal 19391945, Indian Service Medal and Legion of Merit. He died at the age of 94. but to outlive his legacy, Army Day is celebrated all over India.
Events on Army Day
Also, on Army day, tribute is paid to the martyrs of Indian Army at the Amar Jawan Jyoti, India Gate, and New Delhi. Army parades and military shows are conducted at different regions over India. Army day recognizes the unparalleled contribution of the Indian soldiers by honoring them with bravery awards, including Vishist Seva Medals.
Know your Army | Indian Army Day
- The Indian Army is the 2nd largest standing army in the world. Indian Army has about 1, 129, 900 active troops and 960,000 reserve troops.
- Indian Army functions at the Siachen Glacier which is about 5000 meters above sea level. The glacier is regarded as the highest battlefield in the world.
- The Indian army has a horsed cavalry regiment which is among last 3 such regiments in the world.
- Sepoy Kamal Ram of Royal Indian Army was the youngest Indian to receive Victoria Cross for his valor in WW2 at just the age of 19.
- Assam Rifles, formed in 1835, is the oldest paramilitary force in India.
- The High Altitude Warfare School (HAWS) from Indian Army is often regarded as one of the most elite military training centers in the world. Even the US Special Forces trained at HAWS before their deployment during the invasion of Afghanistan.
- In December 1971, the Battle of Longewala was fought between India and Pakistan. This battle is interesting because with just 120 Indian soldiers and a jeep with a M40 recoilless rifle stood its ground against 2000 Pakistani soldiers. As the Indian soldiers held their ground all through the night. The help from the Air Force came in the morning.
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Significance | Army Day
- The Indian Army was formed in 1776 under the Government of the East India Company as a military department at Kolkata.
- The motto of the Indian Army is ‘service before self’ and its mission: to ensure national security and national unity, defend the nation from external aggression and internal threats, and maintain peace and security within its borders.
- Operation Rahat, carried out by the Indian Army to evacuate those affected by 2013 North India floods, is considered as one of the biggest civilian rescue operations in the world.
- Baily Bridge in Ladakh: The bridge at the highest elevation in the world, was constructed by the Indian Army in 1982.
- The Indian horsed cavalry regiment is one of the last 3 remaining regiments in the world.
- The Indian Army is one of the biggest contributors to the United Nations peace operations, and has conducted large peace-time exercises like Operation Brasstacks and Exercise Shoorveer.
- The Indian Army is one of the few armies in the world that has never initiated a war and its Peace Keeping Force is known for its counterinsurgency efforts.
- Some of the iconic victories of India include Kargil war, Siachen conflict, Chola incident, Liberation of Goa, Liberation of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, 2nd and 3rd Indo-Pak war, Indo-Sino conflict of 1967; and major operations undertaken by the Indian Army are Operation Vijay, Operation Meghdoot and Operation Cactus.
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