On 15th January 2021, India will celebrate its 72nd Army Day. In honour of the day, we have brought you the history of Army Day and will share with you 5 incredible facts about the Indian Army that will swell your chest with pride.  

Indian Army Day Origin

After India was granted independence, the army had to take control over certain administrative issues. The President of the Indian Army prior to independence was of British origin. On 15th January, Field Marshal KM Cariappa became the first Army Chief of an independent nation. In the honor of KM Cariappa, the nation celebrates Indian Army Day.  

You can read more about KM Cariappa here.

How is Army Day celebrated?

Each year the citizens of India bear witness to the military strength of the Indian army on this day. Bravery awards and Sena Medals are distributed to the brave and deserving army personnel on Army Day. The event is organized in Cariappa Parade Ground, New Delhi. Additionally, a tribute to the living and martyrs are paid at the ‘Amar Jawan Jyoti’ and India Gate. 

Now let’s check out some fascinating facts about the Indian Army and take a moment to appreciate the brave men on our nation’s borders: 

  • No peak is high enough for the Indian army 

Indian army controls the highest battlefield on the planet at the Siachen glacier. The Siachen glacier sits 5,000 meters above sea level. Spread over a 76 km area, the Siachen glacier sees the temperatures dropping below –60 degrees, and the men of the Indian army protect their motherland while averting the threat of avalanches, high-speed winds and a multitude of potentially life-threatening ailments.

  • Indian army men are considered to be the best in mountain warfare 

Soldiers from the Indian army are trained at High Altitude Warfare School (HAWS) which is one of the most elite warfare training academies in the world. HAWS is known to host selected soldiers from the US, UK, Germany special forces for a special training program. According to reports, the US Special Forces took training at HAWS before the invasion of Afghanistan.  

  • Indian Army Successfully Fooled the CIA During Nuclear Tests 

The story of India conducting Nuclear Tests in Pokhran is known to most. In the early 1970s and late 90s, India conducted covert nuclear tests without the biggest intelligence agency in the world knowing. US Senator Richard Shelby in a speech said, “the biggest failure of our intelligence gathering agencies in the past ten years or more.” To this date, the Pokhran nuclear test is considered to be the CIA’s biggest failure in threat detection and espionage. 

  • Indian Army conducted the biggest civilian rescue operation ever in the world, Operation Rahat 

Conducted during the Uttarakhand floods, operation Rahat was a combined effort of the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force. During the first phase of the rescue operation, the Indian Airforce airlifted a total of 20,000 people and dropped a total of 3,82,400 kg of relief material and equipment. 

  • The triumph of the Indian Army in the Battle of Longewala 

Fought between India and Pakistan in 1971, the Battle of Longewala is recorded in the history books for being a battle where the Indian side suffered only 2 casualties. In the battle,`120 Indian soldiers with 1 jeep held their ground against 2,000 Pakistani soldiers that were accompanied by 45 tanks. Despite the odds, the Indian army held the fort and with the help of the Indian Air Force defeated the Pakistani side.  

We at Shiksha news thank each and every individual of the Indian Armed Forces. It is because of you that we are able to carry on with our lives peacefully.