With China and India holding multiple rounds of talks on the border row along the Line of Actual Control, the Indian Army’s Territorial Army (TA) Unit has inducted Mandarin experts to act as interpreters during the Border Personnel Meetings (BPM) between the two sides. The TA is also at a very advanced stage to indict cyber experts, given the current scenario.
Cyber Experts
According to sources in the forces, deliberations are ongoing and the criteria for inducting personnel have been identified. The Territorial Army has also devised a plan for the cyber experts and should get clearance from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to induct them within this month. As part of the pilot project, the main idea is to initially induct at least six cyber experts.
Border Personnel Meetings
India and China hold Border Personnel meetings at five points, namely, Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO) in Northern Ladakh, Kibithu in Arunachal Pradesh, Chushul in Ladakh, Bum-La near Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh and Nathu-La in Sikkim, Usually, both sides resolve various operational issues at the BPM.
Chinese Language Interpreters
Talking about the hiring of Chinese language interpreters, the source said that five of them were hired in the first phase based on their proficiency in spoken and written Mandarin. We selected the best, and they have already been deployed at forward locations where the BPM with the Chinese talks place. The induction took place in August 2023, even as the process had started in January 2023.
“These experts will aid the Indian Army in understanding exactly what is told from the Chinese side. This will help, in turn, help in understanding the scenario better from an Indian perspective,” the source added.
This process was rigorous, and it entailed a comprehensive examination involving written and oral language tests of various candidates who have expertise in Mandarin language, the source added. The average age of these experts is around thirty years. They are the best in the country.
India’s Territorial Army
Raised on October 9, 1949, the Territorial Army is a volunteer force of India that can be quickly mobilised and utilised during the war as well as no-war, no-peace scenarios in regions with a history of unrest, for instance, Jammu and Kashmir(J&K) and the Northeast. It has 60 battalions in total, out of which 14 are departmental and the remaining are infantry and engineer battalions.
The 43 Battalions are deployed in Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur and the Rann of Kutch. In Manipur, owing to the ongoing ethnic conflict, because of which essential services such as petrol pumps and aviation came to be hit, the sours said that it was the TA battalions that have helped in restoring them. They assist the Indian Army in counter-insurgency operations.
The TA is divided into departmental and non-departmental units. The departmental units are funded by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the Ministry of Jal Shakti, the Ministry of Railways and the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
The TA, in a bid to give greater representation to women, has started inducting women officers in sectors such as oil engineers and railways, as well as in the headquarters of the TA directorate.
The TA has also been undertaking ecological tasks around the country and has raised 10 Ecological Task Force (ETF) battalions that solely undertake ecology-related work around the country. The first Battalion was raised in December 1982. According to a source, “These Battalions have been deployed in various parts of the country right from mountains to deserts to the plains of Maharashtra.
The Task Force has helped in restoring the afforestation and maintaining the ecological balance in the affected areas, the source said. They have planted many trees on around 90,000 hectares of land that had been allotted for the work by various state governments.
“In the areas where ETF battalions were deployed, they were able to prevent soil erosion along the banks. These battalions even managed to prevent illegal activities along the river while keeping river pollution in check,” said one source, adding that TA battalions had also gained recognition for the creation of herbal gardens.
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