Lok Sabha Question No. 5068 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-24
Subject: Strength of Defence Forces
Ministry: DEFENCE
Asked by: Naba (Hira) Kumar Sarania

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF DEFENCE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENCE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.5068

TO BE ANSWERED ON 24 th  JULY, 2019

## STRENGTH OF DEFENCE FORCES

5068. SHRI NABA KUMAR SARANIA:

Will the Minister of DEFENCE j{kk ea=h be pleased to state:

- (a) the total strength of all three forces (Navy, Army, Air Force) presently, force-wise and the details of shortage of manpower in each force;
- (b)  the  total  number  of  regiments  existing  in  the  Army  along  with  the  headquarters and their foundation days;
- (c)  the number of persons from North Eastern States working in all the three forces;
- (d)  the  functioning  of  the  territorial  army  and  the  number  of  its  battalions  and  total strength at present; and
- (e)  the number of vacant posts in all the three forces?

## A    N    S    W    E    R

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

(SHRI SHRIPAD NAIK)

रक्षा राज्य मंत्री

( श्री श्रीपाद नाईक )

(a) to (e):

A statement is attached.

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## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e)  OF  LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5068 FOR ANSWER ON 24.07.2019 REGARDING "STRENGTH OF DEFENCE FORCES"

- (a) & (e):   Details of strength of Officers in the three Armed Forces (excluding Army Medical Corps, Army Dental Corps and Military Nursing Service), force-wise are as under:-

| Service                      |   Authorised Strength |   Held Strength |   Shortage |
|------------------------------|-----------------------|-----------------|------------|
| Army (as on 01.01.2019)      |                 50312 |           42913 |       7399 |
| Navy (As on 01.06.2019)      |                 11557 |           10012 |       1545 |
| Air Force (As on 01.06.2019) |                 12625 |           12142 |        483 |

Details  of  strength  of  Personnel  Below  Officers  Rank  (PBOR)  /  Airmen  / Sailors in the three Armed Forces, force-wise, are as under:-

| Service                      |   Authorised Strength | Held Strength   | Shortage   |
|------------------------------|-----------------------|-----------------|------------|
| Army (as on 01.01.2019)      |               1223381 | 1185146*        | 38235      |
| Navy (As on 01.06.2019)      |                 74046 | 57240           | 16806      |
| Air Force (As on 01.06.2019) |                142917 | 129094          | 13823**    |

- (b): Information cannot be divulged  in the interest of the National Security.
- (c): Details of strength of Officers (excluding Army Medical Corps, Army Dental Corps and Military Nursing Service) and PBOR from the North Eastern States in the three Armed Forces are as under:

| Army     | Army   | Navy     | Navy    | Air Force   | Air Force   |
|----------|--------|----------|---------|-------------|-------------|
| Officers | PBORs  | Officers | Sailors | Officers    | Airmen      |
| **       | 44464  | 134      | 1984    | 176         | 3177        |

: 2 :

(d): The TA provides gainful employment to volunteer citizens to don the uniform and serve the nation. Its role is to relieve regular Army of static duties and to aid civil authority in dealing with natural calamities and maintenance of essential services in situation  where  life  of  the  community  is  affected  or  the  security  of  the  country  is threatened  and  to  provide  support  to  National  effort.  It  also  provides  units  for  the regular  Army  as  and  when  required.  The  TA  comprises  of  Non  Departmental  and Departmental  Units.  Non-Departmental  units  are  Infantry  Battalion  (TA),  Infantry Battalion (Home & Hearth) (TA) and Engineering TA Regiments. Departmental Units form  part  of  various  civil  departments/Ministries  on  which  the  units  are  based  i.e. Railways, Oil Sector and Ecological Task Force (ETF).

The TA comprises of 65 Units including six battalions with a total strength of 43085 officers and men.

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