Anurag Thakur becomes first serving minister to be appointed Captain in Territorial Army

Anurag Thakur, Minister of State (MoS) for Finance and Corporate Affairs, was on March 10 promoted to the rank of Captain in the Territorial Army as a regular commissioned officer. He has become the first serving MP and minister to be appointed to this rank. Thakur, who is BJP MP in the current government, was commissioned into the TA in July 2016 as a Lieutenant.

Anurag Thakur promoted to Captain in Territorial Army

Thakur took to Twitter to share the video of the Territorial Army pipping ceremony and said that he was "honoured" to be promoted to the rank of Captain. Further, he reaffirmed "commitment for serving the people and the call of duty towards mother India."

Later in the day, Thakur called on Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla in Parliament after the Territorial Army pipping ceremony. 

Thakur is a member of the Lower House of Parliament in India from Hamirpur in Himachal Pradesh. He assumed charge of office as the MoS Finance & Corporate Affairs in 2019. He was first elected to Lok Sabha in May 2008 in a by-poll as a candidate of BJP. He was re-elected to the 15th Lok Sabha in 2009, 16th Loksabha in 2014, and 17th Loksabha in 2019. Later, Thakur was appointed the president of the All India Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha. In July 2016, he became a part of the territorial army, becoming the first serving BJP MP to become a regular commissioned officer in the Territorial Army.