Kolkata, August 28, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Territorial Army, which was raised in 1949, received its official song on Friday during the concluding day of the two-day ‘Know Your Territorial Army’ (KYTA) Seminar and TA 2.0 Symposium in Kolkata.
The release marked a significant milestone for the force, which, unlike the Army, Navy and Air Force, had not previously had an official song to represent its distinctive identity.
The Territorial Army comprises men and women who serve as soldiers for part of the year while contributing to the protection of vital installations and the environment, including in challenging conditions.
The concluding day was attended by Lt Gen Gambhir Singh, Chief of Staff, Eastern Command; Maj Gen Sujeet Shivaji Patil, ADG, Territorial Army; serving and retired officers, subject experts, civilians, school students and NCC cadets.
The programme featured two panel discussions, a keynote address, exchange of Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs), release of the Territorial Army Song, felicitation of eminent personalities and a valedictory address by Lt Gen Singh.
The proceedings began in the presence of Lt Gen Rakesh Kapoor (Retd), former Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Information Systems & Coordination).
The first panel discussion, titled ‘Unlocking India’s National Talent Pool’, featured Prof Basab Chakraborty of IIT Kharagpur, Dhriti Banerjee, Director of the Zoological Survey of India, Fr K.S. Casamir, Vice Chancellor of XIM University, Bhubaneswar, and Vimal Govind M.K., CEO of Genrobotics Innovation Private Limited. The session was moderated by Brig Amit Pandey, Brigadier, Infantry (Territorial Army).
A briefing on Territorial Army recruitment and a screening of the film ‘Know Your TA’ followed. Lt Gen Kapoor then delivered the keynote address, ‘Vision/Crystal Gazing on the Future of TA’, outlining a technology-enabled roadmap for the force.
The second panel discussion featured C.P. Marak, IFS (Retd), Chairperson, Meghalaya Lokayukta; Dhriti Banerjee; and sustainability and ESG professional Shruti Sharma Rana. The session was moderated by Col Prakash Tiwari (Retd), member of the Expert Appraisal Committee, Infra-1 & CRZ, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
Strategic analyst and defence commentator Nitin A. Gokhale subsequently addressed the symposium on the future evolution of the Territorial Army.
The event also witnessed the formal exchange of MoUs between Maj Gen Patil and seven partner institutions. The agreements had been signed on the first day of the symposium.
KYTA stalls and cultural programmes remained open to the public throughout the day, drawing civilians, school students and NCC cadets to the exhibition and performances by Territorial Army cultural troupes.
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