Territorial Army Invites Applications from Ex-Commissioned Officers for Commission as Lieutenants in 2026
The Directorate General Territorial Army has opened applications for ex-armed forces commissioned officers who want to be commissioned again in the Territorial Army, a part-time force that allows trained officers from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Territorial Army itself to continue serving while pursuing civilian careers. The recruitment exercise is open to eligible ex-servicemen officers only, and the notification makes clear that applicants must already be gainfully employed or self-employed.
The Territorial Army functions on the citizen-soldier model, where officers and other personnel balance professional civilian work with military duties. According to the advertisement, service in the force is not a full-time career and does not automatically carry regular pension benefits. Only those who can demonstrate existing employment or self-employment status are eligible to apply.
The application window runs from 27 July 2026 to 26 August 2026, and the last date for receipt of applications is also 26 August 2026. Applications are to be sent by post only to the Directorate General Territorial Army. The interview is scheduled for September 2026, with exact dates to be communicated later by email. The notification warns that incomplete applications, or those received after the deadline, will be rejected without any intimation.
Vacancies will be filled according to organisational requirement and the number may change depending on operational needs. The advertisement states that the openings are available to both male and female candidates.
Who can apply
Only ex-service commissioned officers of the Indian Army, Indian Navy, Indian Air Force and Territorial Army are eligible. Officers who have completed their tenure or who had applied for premature retirement may apply. However, officers who were removed, dismissed from service, or who resigned are not eligible.
The recruitment is not open to serving personnel of the Regular Army, Navy or Air Force, nor to personnel in the Police, GREF, Para-Military Forces or IAF forces.
Nationality requirements are also specified. A candidate must be a citizen of India, a subject of Nepal, or a person of Indian origin who migrated from Pakistan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, or the East African countries of Kenya, Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania, formerly Tanganyika and Zanzibar, with the intention of permanently settling in India. Where applicable, this category requires a certificate of eligibility from the Government of India. The notification also notes special provisions for Gorkha subjects of Nepal and certain persons who migrated from Pakistan before or after 19 July 1948.
Applicants must be at least 18 years old and must not have attained 42 years of age on the date of application. The upper age limit may be relaxed at the discretion of the Chief of the Army Staff. A minimum graduation degree from a recognised university is required, and candidates must be physically fit and medically fit in category S1H1A1P1E1.
Selection and training
Shortlisted candidates will be screened by the Army Headquarters Selection Board at the Directorate General Territorial Army in New Delhi. The DG TA reserves the right to fix a cut-off on the number of applicants called for screening, depending on the number of applications and available vacancies.
Those recommended will have to undergo medical examination at the Armed Forces Clinic, New Delhi, followed by police verification before final selection. Candidates found suitable will be informed by email. If a candidate does not receive a call letter, the candidature will be treated as invalid and cancelled. The notification also says no request for a change in interview date will be entertained.
Successful candidates will first undergo pre-commission training under Territorial Army Rule 20A, amended vide SRO 65 dated 29 April 2023. Commission into the Territorial Army will be granted only after successful completion of this training. In addition, officers are required to undergo two months of Annual Training Camp every year if they are not continuously embodied for six months in a training year, which runs from 1 April to 31 March.
The commission is granted in the rank of Lieutenant, subject to fulfilment of the requirements under TA Rule 20A. When embodied for training or military service, officers receive pay and allowances at rates similar to Regular Army officers, along with Military Service Pay.
The notification provides the 7th CPC pay matrix for Territorial Army officers. A Lieutenant is placed at Level 10 with pay of ₹56,100 to ₹1,77,500 and Military Service Pay of ₹15,500. A Captain is at Level 10B with pay of ₹61,300 to ₹1,93,900. A Major is at Level 11 with pay of ₹69,400 to ₹2,07,200. A Lieutenant Colonel is at Level 12A with pay of ₹1,21,200 to ₹2,12,400. A Colonel is at Level 13 with pay of ₹1,30,600 to ₹2,15,900, while a Brigadier is at Level 13A with pay of ₹1,39,600 to ₹2,17,600. Military Service Pay is ₹15,500 across these ranks.
Previous commissioned service in the Regular Army, Navy or Air Force, once verified through the concerned PCDA(O), will count towards ante-date seniority for pay and promotion. The notification says that previous full-pay commissioned service will also count towards the periods required for substantive promotion.
Substantive promotion is laid down as follows: Lieutenant on grant of commission; Captain after four years of commissioned service; Major after eight years; Lieutenant Colonel after 15 years; Colonel by Selection Grade, with time scale at 28 years; and Brigadier by Selection Grade.
All Non-Departmental Territorial Army officers must pass Promotion Examinations Part A, B, C and D within the prescribed time limits. Failure may lead to termination of commission or loss of seniority. Parts A and B are required for promotion to Major, while Parts C and D are required for Lieutenant Colonel. Ex-officers who have already passed the corresponding promotion examinations in their previous service are exempt, provided they produce supporting documents.
Service conditions and benefits
The Territorial Army is described in the notification as a part-time commitment with mandatory training for two months each year, though this can be extended according to organisational requirement. Service does not guarantee pension, and pensionary benefits are linked to embodied service.
Officers are entitled to leave on embodiment in accordance with existing rules. When embodied, they come under the Army Act and the rules and regulations of the Regular Army, read with Territorial Army Regulations, and are expected to follow the customs and traditions of the service. Free medical treatment is available for injury or disease suffered during training or military service, on the same lines as the Regular Army.
The notification also says that a limited number of permanent staff appointments in Territorial Army units may be offered to suitable officers, with tenure extendable up to a maximum of five years.
For pensionary benefits, Territorial Army officers are eligible for terminal gratuity on retirement if they have completed a minimum of four years of aggregate embodied service. Disability and family pensions are also admissible under certain conditions.
The retirement ages are specified as 54 years for Major and below; 56 years or four years’ tenure in the present rank, whichever is earlier, but not before 54 years of age, for Lieutenant Colonel and Colonel; and 58 years or four years’ tenure in the present rank, whichever is earlier, but not before 56 years of age, for Brigadier.
Officers are liable to embodiment for military service with their units or with the Regular Army, as per rules in force. They will not be required to serve beyond the limits of India except under a general or special order of the Government of India.
How to apply
Applicants must download the free Application Form IAF (TA-9) (Revised) Part-1 from www.indianarmy.nic.in and fill it in their own handwriting. The completed application, along with photocopies of the Release Order and Release Medical Board Proceedings, must be sent by Indian Post only to the Directorate General Territorial Army (TA-4), Integrated Headquarters of Ministry of Defence, 4th Floor, ‘A’ Block, Ministry of Defence Office Complex, KG Marg, New Delhi – 110001.
The notification specifically says that applications from civilian candidates will be rejected without intimation.
At the time of interview, candidates must produce the original documents along with self-attested copies. These include the Part-2 application form downloaded from the official website and filled in the candidate’s own handwriting, Release Medical Examination or Release Medical Board Proceedings, Release Order or Certificate, educational qualification certificates from Matric onwards, latest physical fitness certificate from a registered MBBS doctor, identity proof with photograph such as Voter ID, PAN Card, Passport or Driving Licence, domicile or residential address proof, proof of age such as Matric or Senior Secondary mark sheet and certificate, service certificate from the employer authenticated by the Head of Office with a No Objection Certificate in the prescribed format, and for self-employed candidates, an affidavit on non-judicial stamp paper stating the nature of employment and annual income along with a photocopy of PAN card and self-certified character certificate.
Other required documents include photocopies of PAN Card and Aadhaar Card, copies of certificates or reports of all courses, the Discharge or Service Particular Booklet, latest Income Tax Return or Form 16 and 16A if employed, and in cases where the name varies across documents, a Gazette Notification or affidavit supported by newspaper cuttings.
The advertisement also lists compulsory certificate formats for candidates employed in the Central, State, Semi-Government or private sector, self-certified character certificates for self-employed personnel, affidavits for self-employed candidates regarding employment and annual income, and certificates from private sector employers regarding the difference in civil and military pay.
The notification cautions applicants that eligibility must be ensured at every stage and that admission is provisional throughout the process. Furnishing false information, suppressing material facts, attempting to enlist outside support for selection, or failing to complete the form fully in words and in the candidate’s own handwriting can lead to rejection, removal from the Territorial Army, or disqualification. The name must be written in full in block letters without initials, and it must match the educational certificates and signature. Candidates must also inform the DGTA immediately of any change in employment during candidature and thereafter, along with a fresh NOC.
The Directorate General Territorial Army has said the notification offers experienced commissioned officers a route back into service while continuing in civilian life. Interested candidates have been advised to go through the instructions carefully, use the correct form, and ensure that their applications are submitted by post before 26 August 2026.
All details are as per the official advertisement issued by the Directorate General Territorial Army, and candidates have been asked to refer to www.indianarmy.nic.in for updates and downloadable application forms.
