Parachute Regiment
The Parachute Regiment of the Indian Army has celebrated its 68th Raising Day on April 15.
Centre: Bengaluru, Karnataka
Motto: Shatrujeet (The Conqueror)
Battle honors: Shelatang, Naushera, Poonch, Jhanger, Hajipir, Poongli Bridge, Mandhol, and Chachro.
Regimental Insignia: An open parachute with wings spread out and a dagger placed upright, between the wings.
The regiment has a long history and many successful missions in its kitty. It traces its history to the British era when the earliest airborne regiment was formed in 1941. It fought alongside British troops at several locations across the world.
The Indian Army’s Parachute Regiment was officially formed in March 1945 and took part in a military operation in Burma (present-day Myanmar).
This regiment also worked to provide medical assistance during the 1950 war when North Korea invaded South Korea. India had sent a para unit on the call of the United Nations. It earned the title of “Maroon Angels” from the locals who widely appreciated the help being provided by the para unit.
The para regiment came into existence on April 15, 1952, when three existing parachute battalions — 1st battalion of Punjab Para Regiment, 3rd Battalion of Maratha Light Infantry and 1st Battalion of Kumaon Regiment — were absorbed.
The re-raised regiment was also given a new formation sign, the Shatrujeet, which signified the operations’ readiness of the brigade.
The regiment was augmented by the Sino-India war of 1962.
The regiment has been historically known for feats in mountaineering. Captain Avtar Singh Cheema of 7 Para was the first Indian atop Mount Everest. He belonged to the Sriganganagar district in Rajasthan.
The troops of the Para Regiment are given training at its center in Bengaluru.
Things to be Known
All Para SF soldiers are paratroopers but all paratroopers are not Para SF.
Para (Special Forces), commonly known as Para SF, is the special force unit of the Indian Army. It is attached to the Parachute Regiment.
The Paratroopers (Airborne) are elite troops, not Special Forces. Only these Paratroopers can aspire to be a Para Commando (Also called Para SF) and have to take part in one of the toughest selection processes in the world.
The Para battalions can hold ground for brief periods, while the Para SF are mobile forces that have to strike multiple targets hard and move on the “tip of the spear”. Para (SF) are Special Forces, specially trained in unconventional warfare.
Every paratrooper is a volunteer and has to go through a rigorous probation period before earning the maroon beret and the wings.
Then these paratroopers are further required to go through the SF probation period to earn the Balidaan badge and the title of an SF operative.
Both probation periods are one of the toughest and the longest training and selection courses with a very low passing percentage.
Training
On 1 May 1952, a training wing of the Parachute Regiment was formed at Kota under the Brigade of the Guards Training Centre and thus started the direct recruitment and training of recruits for the Parachute Regiment. The regiment started augmenting its strength from 1961. At about the same time, to ensure a better intake of recruits into the regiment, the raising of a training center was authorized on 13 March 1963, and the Indian government accorded sanction for raising an independent training center. The executive order for raising the Parachute Regiment Training Centre was received on 22 June 1963. The Parachute Regiment Depot and Records was redesignated as the Parachute Regiment Training Centre, then located at Agra Fort. The first batch of recruits from the Rajputana Rifles, Rajput Regiment, Sikh Regiment, and Dogra Regiment started arriving in the training battalions located at Kheria Camp On 26 September 1963, the Parachute Regiment training wing at Kota joined the Centre. On 5 February 1965, the center moved to Morar Cantonment, Gwalior. The center, in addition to conducting training of Parachute Regiment recruits, was also responsible for all parachute training. For this purpose, a Parachute Holding Wing was established on 1 April 1966. The Para Holding Wing was responsible for carrying out basic and reservist training for all active and reservist paratroopers. In wartime, the Para Holding Wing had the added responsibility of providing transit camp facilities for the launching of an airborne operation. On 5 June 1967, the Personal Accounts Office (Other Ranks) of the Parachute Regiment also moved from Mathura to Gwalior. On 2 October 1975, the Parachute Regiment Training Centre, Records, and PAO(OR) moved to Agra. On 15 January 1977, the erstwhile Para Holding Wing was disbanded and additional staff and vehicles were authorized to the Parachute Regiment Training Centre to carry out all of the above functions of the Para Holding Wing. The Para Holding Wing continued functioning from Kheria and its old name was retained. The Para Holding Wing thereafter merged with the Army Airborne Training School, Agra on 15 January 1992. On 15 January 1992, the Parachute Regiment Training Centre along with the Records and PAO(OR) moved to Bengaluru and occupied the erstwhile location of the Pioneer Corps and Training Centre
Parachute Regiment Manning policy
Pre-Commission: Volunteer GCs from IMA/OTA will be commissioned at the scale of two officers per battalion per year. These officers will be allotted a parent regiment by MS Branch.
Post Commission: Officers from all Arms and Services can volunteer for the Parachute Regiment subject to them having less than five years’ service on the day they volunteer, being in medical category SHAPE-I and being graded`EXCELLENT’ in BPET. These officers will retain their affiliated to their Regiment/Corps (as parent regiment).
As recognition of its distinguished service, the regiment was presented its new colors by the President on 06 October 1967. The regiment’s first post-independence battle was when 2 Para was dropped near Tangail in Bangladesh on 11 December 1971 and was also the first unit of the Indian Army to enter Dacca. The 9 and 10 Para Commandos proved their mettle in 1971 by conducting lighting raids in Mandhol (across Munawar Tawi) and Chachro (Sind) respectively. The regiment took an active part in Operation Vijay (Liberation of Goa) in 1961 and Operation Pawan (Sri Lanka) with nearly 80% of the Regiment deployed in the Island in 1987–89. The 3 Para and 6 Para conducted operations in aid of the Government of Maldives in 1988 under Operation Cactus.
The Parachute Regiment has, in addition to their participation in other countries, formed part of the United Nations Operations in Gaza and Korea. Today, the regiment is perhaps the only one in the Indian Army to have taken part in every theatre and every operation in and outside the country. All bandsmen of the regiment are parachute-trained as well. The Para Commando battalions of the Regiment have been re-designated as Parachute (Special Forces) battalions. On 01 February 1996, the 21 Maratha Light Infantry joined the Regiment designated as 21 Parachute (Special Forces) and was raised by Colonel V.B. Shinde. In 2001, the 2 Para was re-designated as the 2 Para (SF) which makes it the fifth Para Commando battalion in the Indian Army. The second recipient of the Ashoka Chakra is Paratrooper Sanjog Chhetri of 9 Para.
Insignia
The regimental badge for the Parachute Regiment is an open parachute, partially behind a circle with the word “Parachute” at the top and a scroll at the bottom with the word “Regiment” wings are spread out from the circle, and a dagger is superimposed on the parachute and upper portion of the circle the whole in silver metal. As with much of the world’s parachute forces, the normal headgear is a maroon beret, although there is a maroon turban for Sikh personnel.
The special forces, which form part of the Parachute Regiment, have a distinct insignia called Balidaan, which has a commando dagger point downwards, with upward-extending wings extending from the blade and a scroll superimposed on the blade with “Balidaan” inscribed in Devanagiri the whole in silver metal on an upright red plastic rectangle. The special forces personnel also wear a maroon curved shoulder title with SPECIAL FORCES embroidered in light blue, succeeding the COMMANDO tag in 2006 with was in use since inception.
There remains a single airborne brevet, an open parachute in white, with light blue wings extended from it, the whole on a grey-green drab background. Some other variants have existed for ceremonial/mess uniforms, e.g., with gold wired wings on a maroon flannel, the same on a scarlet background for the PBG on their ceremonial tunics. This was formerly worn on the upper right sleeve but since 1975 appears above the right chest pocket and name tag. There is also a small enameled version white parachute with blue, yellow, or red wings worn on the left pocket as Jump Indicator Wings for 25, 50, or 100 descents, respectively. The small enameled badge has now been replaced by a brass badge with stars at the bottom of the parachute, with one star denoting 25 jumps, two stars 50, and three stars 100.
Strength
The regiment has a total of 11 regular, one Rashtriya Rifles, and two territorial army battalions, four are Special Forces (Airborne) battalions, while eight are special forces battalions. Formerly designated “commando” units, they are now designated special forces:
1st Battalion (Special Forces)ex 1st Battalion, 2nd Punjab Regiment Raised 1761, conversion to Special Forces 1978
2nd Battalion (Special Forces)ex 3rd Battalion, Maratha Light Infantry raised 1797, conversion to Special Forces 2000
3rd Battalion (Special Forces)ex 1st Battalion, Kumaon Regiment raised 1813, conversion to Special Forces 2002
4th Battalion (Special Forces) raised 1961, conversion to Special Forces 2003.
5th Battalion (Special Forces Airborne) raised 1963
6th Battalion (Special Forces Airborne) raised 1963
7th Battalion (Special Forces Airborne) raised 1963
9th Battalion (Special Forces) raised 1966 as 9th Parachute Commando Battalion.
10th Battalion (Special Forces) raised in 1967 as a 10th Parachute Commando battalion from 9 Para Cdo.
11th Battalion (Special Forces) raised in 2011
12th Battalion (Special Forces Airborne) under raising, as in 2011
21st Battalion (Special Forces)ex 21st Battalion, Maratha Light Infantry raised 1985, conversion to Special Forces 1996
106th Infantry Battalion (Para) Territorial Army
116th Infantry Battalion (Para) Territorial Army
31st Battalion (Commando) Rashtriya Rifles
…. and many more.
Happy Reading, Keep Smiling
Be Safe …
Jai Hind…
