New Delhi: In a move aimed at streamlining the functioning of the nearly 40,000-strong Territorial Army (TA) for better operational and intelligence capacity utilisation, it is set to undergo major changes as per the Indian military plans.

Among the plans for it on the cards include one especially in the Andaman Islands to keep an eye out for possible Chinese intrusion in the region.

The TA — a voluntary force that is the second line of defence after the Indian Army — got its first Director General in Lt Gen DP Pandey. He had earlier led the Army’s information warfare wing and has also commanded the Kilo Force, which takes care of anti-terror operations in Kupwara, Baramulla and Srinagar areas of Kashmir.

The TA was until now headed by an ADG rank officer, a Major General, even though the DG position was vacant for quite some time. With the creation of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and Department of Military Affairs (DMA) headed by Gen Bipin Rawat, the TA now comes under him rather than the Army Chief.

“There is a re-focus on the TA on how it can be better used for military roles and also to be the proper eyes and ears of the force in far-flung areas,” a top military official said.

The plans come in the wake of CDS Gen Rawat stating in a recent interaction with the media that reducing the cost of running the military could be helped through “TAisation”, a reference to giving the force more responsibilities.

“The TA is being operationally deployed more over the past few years and hence it is time to ensure that it is exploited fully,” a senior officer said.