Brigade of The Guards is a regiment of the Indian
Army. It is the first "All India" mixed "All Class"
Composition Infantry Regiment of the Army where troops from all parts of India
serve together in various battalions of the Regiment.
The Guards Brigade was raised to implement the Government's
policy of encouraging Army recruitment from classes and regions which had been
under-represented in the forces. In the new regiment, called The Guards
Brigade, the old system of class composition was replaced with recruitment open
to all regions, castes, creeds, and sections of society. Three of the Army's
oldest and most distinguished battalions—2nd Battalion of the 2nd Punjab
Regiment, 1st Battalion of the Indian Grenadiers Regiment and 1st Battalion of
the 6th Rajputana Rifles were converted as Guards battalions in 1949. Later, they
were joined by the 1st Battalion of the 7th Rajput Regiment. It is the only
regiment of Foot Guards in the Indian Army.
Though the Brigade of The Guards is only 50 years old, its
constituent battalions go back as far as 225 years and between them share 93
Battle Honours earned around the globe. The President of India is the Honorary
Colonel-in-Chief and the Chief of Army Staff is the Colonel-in-Chief of The
Guards. The Guards Regimental Centre is at Kamptee
in Maharashtra.
The two new
battalions of the Brigade, namely, 15 and 16 Guards were presented Colours by
The Chief of the Army Staff at the Guards Training Centre, Kamptee on 5th
November 1980.
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