Army Day 2022: Why is Army Day celebrated? Know its importance and interesting facts related to it
Highlights
- Field Marshal KM Cariappa became the first army chief on January 15.
- There were 2 lakh soldiers in the Indian Army at the time.
- Today there are 12.00,255 active soldiers.
about army day
The Indian Army was formed in 1776 by the East India Company in Kolkata. This army was occupied by the British commander before the country’s independence. When the country became independent in the year 1947, the Indian army was already led by a British origin. About two years later, on January 15, 1949, the last British Commander in Chief of independent India, General Francis Butcher, handed over command of the Indian Army to Indian Lieutenant General KM Cariappa. He became the first Indian military commander of independent India. It is one of the most important events in the history of India. Therefore, January 15 is celebrated as Indian Army Day every year. One of the motives for celebrating Army Day is also to salute all the martyrs who gave their lives in defense of the country and also to salute the soldiers who are in the service of the country.
history of the indian army
– The East India Company formed the Indian army in Kolkata in 1776, then the number of British in this army was more and Indians less, at that time Indians were not kept in the rank of officer.
When Cariappa became the army chief, there were about 2 lakh soldiers in the Indian army. At the same time, there are about 12.00,255 active soldiers in the Indian Army today.
Today, the Indian Army is the third largest military contingent in the world after the US and China. At the same time, most Indian Army soldiers today go to UN peacekeeping every year.
Today, the Indian Army has 53 cantonments and nine army bases across the country. Indian Military Engineering Services is the largest manufacturing company in India.
The Assam Rifles is the oldest paramilitary force of the Indian Army, founded in the year 1835.
The guards in charge of the security of the President are the oldest regiment of the regimental army and remain in the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
The Indian army controls the highest battlefield, the Siachen Glacier. The Indian Army also has an external base in Tajikistan.
The motto of the Indian Army is ‘Service before Self’. India has the world’s largest volunteer army (reserved soldiers), the number of which is about 9,90,960.
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About KM Cariappa
Born in Coorg, Karnataka in 1899, Field Marshal Cariappa began a job in the British Indian Army at the age of 20.
He also received the Order of the British Empire for defeating the Japanese in Burma during World War II.
Cariappa led the army on the western frontier in the Indo-Pak War of 1947.
At the time of Indo-Pak independence, he was entrusted with the responsibility of dividing the armies of both countries.
Cariappa retired in the year 1953 and later he served as the High Commissioner of India to Australia and New Zealand until 1956. He passed away in the year 1993 at the age of 94.
The rank of Field Marshal is the highest in the Indian Army. This position is given as an honor. So far, this rank has been awarded to only two officers in Indian history. The country’s first Field Marshal is Sam Manekshaw. He was awarded the rank of Field Marshal by the President in January 1973. M Cariappa was the country’s second field marshal. In 1986 he was appointed Field Marshal.
