Army Day: 10 things to know about India's elite fighting force

The Indian celebrates January 15 as Army Day as it was this day in 1949 when late Field Marshal Kodandera Madappa Cariappa took over as the first commander-in-chief of the Indian Army from British General Francis Butcher in 1949.

The Indian Army troops played a key role in the 1947 conflict against Pakistan soon after independence.

General Thimayya led the troops from the front and battered the Pakistani forces. Thimayya later became the chief of Army staff in 1957.

India celebrates December 16 as "Vijay Diwas" commemorating Indian forces resounding victory over Pakistan in the 1971 war which led to the creation of Bangladesh.

The Pakistan army surrendered to Indian forces unconditionally when General Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi with 93,000 troops surrendered to India. The war lasted just 13 days from December 4 to 16.

It is also known as the Bangladesh Liberation War, 1971.

On the ground, Pakistan suffered the most with 8,000 killed and 25,000 wounded while India lost 3,000 and 12,000 were wounded. The loss of armoured vehicles was similarly imbalanced. It was a major defeat for Pakistan.

The "Instrument of Surrender" of Pakistani forces stationed in East Pakistan was signed at the Ramna Race Course in what is now Dhaka on December 16, 1971 by Lt Gen Niazi of Pakistan and Lt Gen Aurora of India.

The Indian Army is the second largest in the world with 1.2 million troops after the Chinese PLA which reportedly has 1.6 million troops.

General Manoj Mukund Naravane who took over as the Army chief on December 31, 2019, is the 27th chief of the Indian force.

There is are seven commands of the Indian Army: Western Command, Eastern Command, Northern Command, Southern Command, Central Command, Army Training Command and South-Western Command

Indian Army deployed at Siachen glacier guards the world's highest battlefield at a height of 17,000 feet to 22,000 feet.

The Indian forces have been keeping an eye on Pakistan forces for over 30 years from the forward peaks.

In 1962, the Indian Army fought a war with China in the upper Himalayas, currently, the Indian forces are engaged against the PLA forces in eastern Ladakh since May 2020.

 The President of India is the commander-in-chief of the Indian Army, and the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army Staff (COAS).