63 Years of Honour And Sacrifice Indian Army celebrates January
15 every year as Army Day to commemorate the Day, when Gen
(later Field Marshal) K M Cariappa became the first Commander-
in-Chief of Indian Armed Forces after Independence, taking over
the command of Armed Forces from Gen Sir F R R Bucher, the last
British Commander-in-Chief, in 1949.Since independence, the
Indian Army has grown to be a professional, apolitical and
humanitarian force to reckon with, while serving in the most
adverse and diverse conditions. Unlike any Army in the world, it
has the unique experience of fighting wars, at minus 50 degrees
centigrade, in Siachen and braving the hot climate conditions in
the Thar desert, at plus 50 degrees. The officers and jawans
have also the experience of fighting wars in the deserts and
plains in the west to thick jungles and ravines in the North
East.UNITY IN DIVERSITYIndian Army, which is popularly known as
mini-India, has officers and jawans hailing from all provinces,
ethnic cultures as also sp