On 7 November 2026, on the eve of Diwali, Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh reached Sukna, the military station in West Bengal that houses the headquarters of the Army's Trishakti Corps (33 Corps). He was briefed on infrastructure development along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and on the deployment of advanced military equipment and emerging technologies meant to raise operational capability. The Ministry of Defence recorded that he was satisfied with the Corps' preparedness. The next day, 8 November, he celebrated Diwali with soldiers of the same Corps at Sherathang in Sikkim, close to the Nathu La route, and paid homage at the Sherathang War Memorial and the memorial to Baba Harbhajan Singh.
Two short visits, then, but they touch several things an NDA candidate must know: the geography of the eastern LAC, the structure of an Army corps, why logistics is called the backbone of a frontier, the 1967 history of Nathu La, and the modern vocabulary of hybrid warfare. This article takes them in turn.
What the Ministry of Defence recorded
The two releases (PIB, 7 and 8 November 2026) make a handful of points that are worth separating from the ceremony around them.
- Who was present. Chief of the Army Staff General Dhiraj Seth, GOC-in-C Eastern Command Lt Gen VMB Krishnan and GOC 33 Corps Lt Gen Man Raj Singh Mann accompanied the Raksha Mantri.
- What was reviewed. Infrastructure along the LAC, and the induction of advanced equipment and emerging technologies.
- Logistics. He called Sukna and its surroundings a critical hub for the movement of supplies, weaponry, food, medical provisions and personnel to forward locations, and described Sukna as a vital link in the security architecture of Eastern India. The government, he said, is strengthening supply chains so that soldiers at forward locations get what they need.
- Budgets and industry. Allocations for roads, tunnels, border infrastructure and modern equipment have been increased, and Indian start-ups and industries now make drones and anti-drone systems for the Army.
- The threat picture. Security challenges are no longer limited to gunfire and artillery along the border. They include hybrid warfare, proxy wars, cyber-attacks, drone incursions and information warfare.
- People. He urged officers to spend time with troops and encouraged soldiers to speak openly about stress and separation from family; he also described the North-East as the "first edge" rather than the "last edge" of India, because it receives the first rays of the morning sun.
The Trishakti Corps: an Army corps in the east
An Army corps is a formation of several divisions with supporting units. It is commanded by a Lieutenant General, the General Officer Commanding (GOC). India's corps are grouped under commands, each headed by a GOC-in-C. The usual order, from the top, is Army HQ, command, corps, division, brigade, battalion. Our notes on the Army's commands give the full map; for this story only the eastern end matters.
33 Corps is nicknamed Trishakti Corps and is part of Eastern Command, whose headquarters is at Fort William, Kolkata. The history, as the Army itself tells it, runs like this:
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1942 | A British Indian XXXIII Corps is formed in the Second World War; it fights in the Burma campaign |
| 1945 | The wartime corps is disbanded after the Rangoon operation |
| 1960 | The corps is re-raised at Shillong |
| 1962 | The corps and its headquarters move to Sukna |
Its area of responsibility covers North Bengal and Sikkim, and its main task is guarding the LAC with China in the Sikkim sector. The Corps is also associated with the Army's role in the 1971 war and the 1967 clashes at Nathu La and Cho La.
Sources differ on the exact calendar day of the 1960 re-raising, so remember only the year. That is how the exam will ask it, if it asks at all.
Why Sukna matters: geography and the "supply line"
Sukna lies on the plains edge near Siliguri, at the foot of the Himalaya. That is not an accident. Mountain warfare is mostly a logistics problem: every litre of fuel, every round of ammunition and every ration packet has to climb from the plains to posts at 10,000 to 15,000 feet on a few narrow roads, often cut by landslides in the monsoon. A corps headquarters at the foot of the climb is a place where stocks are held, movements planned and reserves positioned.
The location also has a strategic side. Siliguri sits in the Siliguri Corridor, the "Chicken's Neck", which at its narrowest is only about 20-22 km wide, and which is the sole land link between the North-East and the rest of India. Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh border it, and Tibet's Chumbi Valley lies a short distance to the north-east. Our explainer on the Siliguri Corridor covers it in detail. That is the plain reason the Raksha Mantri spoke of Sukna as "a vital link in the security architecture of Eastern India": a force that holds the corridor and the passes above it protects both the Sikkim frontier and the lifeline to eight North-Eastern states.
Roads are the other half of the picture. Capability on the border depends on how fast a vehicle can reach a post, and that is where the Border Roads Organisation comes in. Our article on the BRO and its strategic projects covers the organisation and its major works, so they are not repeated here. The point for this story is the one the Raksha Mantri made: roads, tunnels and equipment are one package, and all three budgets have gone up.
The LAC: three sectors, one name
The Line of Actual Control is the line that separates Indian-controlled territory from Chinese-controlled territory along the India-China border. It is not a boundary agreed on a map and marked on the ground; it is a concept, which is why the two sides have so often differed on where exactly it runs. Military and diplomatic documents divide it into three sectors:
- Western sector: Ladakh.
- Middle sector: Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
- Eastern sector: Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.
Trishakti Corps watches the Sikkim stretch of the eastern sector. The Sikkim-Tibet boundary is generally regarded as the least contested part, because it follows the watershed laid down in the Anglo-Chinese Convention of 1890. Even so, clashes happened here in 1967, and the area remains fully garrisoned. That is why Sikkim is both a quiet sector in terms of dispute and a demanding one in terms of terrain.
Sikkim itself was a protectorate under Indian guidance until it became the 22nd State of India in 1975, through the Thirty-sixth Constitutional Amendment. At the time of the 1967 clashes it was therefore not yet an Indian state, which is a favourite trap in history-based questions. Our post-independence India notes cover the merger.
Nathu La, Cho La and Sherathang
On 8 November the Raksha Mantri was at Sherathang, a small place in East Sikkim about 5 km from Nathu La. It has two kinds of importance.
Trade. Sherathang is the Indian trade mart for the Nathu La route. The pass was reopened for border trade on 6 July 2006, after a gap of 44 years that began with the 1962 war. The mart's counterpart on the Tibetan side is Renqinggang. Trade through the pass was later suspended for a stretch, so for any "currently open or closed" question, check the latest news rather than relying on this paragraph.
History. The Nathu La clash took place from 11 to 14 September 1967 and the Cho La clash on 1 October 1967, both on the Sikkim-Tibet boundary. In each, Indian forces held their ground. Casualty figures quoted in different sources vary widely, so do not memorise numbers; memorise the dates, the two place names and the fact that Sikkim was then a protectorate.
Nathu La, at about 14,000 feet, is also one of the three Himalayan passes for India-China border trade, along with Lipulekh (Uttarakhand) and Shipki La (Himachal). The Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra uses two of them, Lipulekh and Nathu La. Questions on passes are common, and the Sikkim ones are Nathu La and Jelep La. Revise the major passes state by state in your geography notes.
Memorials: Sherathang, Baba Harbhajan Singh and the National War Memorial
The Raksha Mantri visited two memorials near Sherathang. The first is the Sherathang War Memorial, which honours soldiers who died in service. He noted that the soldiers named there came from Nagaland, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan and Assam, and said that this mix is the "soul and ethos" of India.
The second is the Baba Harbhajan Singh Memorial, a shrine on the road to Nathu La in East Sikkim, in the Kupup area. Sepoy Harbhajan Singh of the 23rd Punjab Regiment died on 4 October 1968 in East Sikkim; the official account on the shrine's board says he fell into a ravine while escorting a mule column. Over the decades a tradition has grown among soldiers and visitors that he continues to watch over the border, and the memorial is a place of respect for the Army and the local people. Do not confuse him with Major Harbhajan Singh, who fell in the 1967 clashes and received the Maha Vir Chakra; the two names are often mixed up.
The Raksha Mantri also mentioned the National War Memorial in New Delhi, which carries about 26,000 names of fallen soldiers. It was dedicated to the nation on 25 February 2019. The point of any war memorial, he said, is to build collective memory.
Hybrid warfare, in plain terms
The most testable part of the speech is its list of modern threats. Here is what each term means.
| Term | Plain meaning | Example in the speech |
|---|---|---|
| Hybrid warfare | A mix of military and non-military tools used together, below the level of open war | The whole list |
| Proxy war | Fighting through a third party, not directly | Support to militants across a border |
| Cyber-attack | Attempts to break into or disable computer networks and military systems | "Compromise military systems" |
| Drone incursion | Unmanned aircraft used for spying or attack | "Monitoring sensitive locations using drones" |
| Information warfare | Using rumour, false stories and propaganda to weaken morale or trust | Spreading rumours on social media |
None of these requires a tank to cross a border, which is the point. The same speech links them to the answer: technology in the soldier's hands (drones, anti-drone systems), training in new methods, and discipline and trust with local people, since a soldier's conduct "shapes the image of the military". Our Bagdogra explainer from 7 November covered domain awareness and cyber resilience; this one adds the ground-forces view.
Barakhana: the tradition behind the photographs
The Sukna visit included a Barakhana (the PIB release records the Raksha Mantri addressing soldiers during it on the eve of Diwali). A Barakhana is the Army's common meal at which officers, JCOs and jawans sit and eat together on festivals and special days. It reflects the Army's habit of treating the unit as a family, and the Raksha Mantri described it as a gathering that "transcends ranks and hierarchies", bringing personnel from different regions, cultures and languages together. Festivals at the frontier, whether Diwali, Dussehra or Holi, are a morale routine: a soldier who cannot be at home is given a reminder that the unit is.
What to take from the story
- The location is the message. Sukna is where supply, command and readiness meet before the climb to the passes.
- Infrastructure and equipment are linked. Roads and tunnels move people; drones and anti-drone systems protect them; budgets for both have risen.
- The threat list has widened. Hybrid, proxy, cyber, drone and information warfare are now routine words in official speeches.
- Sikkim has its own history. Nathu La and Cho La (1967), Sherathang trade (2006) and statehood (1975) are three separate dates.
🔑 Revision block
The visits. 7 Nov 2026: Raksha Mantri reviews LAC infrastructure and advanced equipment at Trishakti Corps (33 Corps), Sukna, West Bengal. 8 Nov 2026: Diwali with troops at Sherathang, Sikkim; homage at the Sherathang War Memorial and the Baba Harbhajan Singh Memorial.
People. COAS Gen Dhiraj Seth; GOC-in-C Eastern Command Lt Gen VMB Krishnan; GOC 33 Corps Lt Gen Man Raj Singh Mann.
Trishakti Corps. 33 Corps; Eastern Command; HQ Sukna; formed 1942, disbanded 1945, re-raised 1960 (Shillong), at Sukna since 1962; guards the LAC in Sikkim.
Frontier facts. LAC sectors: Western (Ladakh), Middle (HP, Uttarakhand), Eastern (Sikkim, Arunachal). Siliguri Corridor about 20-22 km at its narrowest. Nathu La clash 11-14 Sept 1967; Cho La 1 Oct 1967; trade reopened 6 July 2006 (mart at Sherathang, about 5 km away); Sikkim became the 22nd State in 1975.
Speech themes. Logistics hub; higher budgets for roads, tunnels, equipment; hybrid warfare, proxy war, cyber-attacks, drone incursions, information warfare; mental health; North-East as the "first edge".
Memorials. National War Memorial: about 26,000 names, dedicated 25 Feb 2019. Barakhana: common meal across ranks.
🎯 Practice MCQs
Q1. Trishakti Corps, whose headquarters is at Sukna, belongs to which Army command?
(a) Northern Command
(b) Eastern Command
(c) Central Command
(d) Southern Command
→ (b)
33 Corps is under Eastern Command and guards the LAC in the Sikkim sector.
Q2. Which of the following is the correct pairing of an LAC sector with the area it covers?
(a) Western sector - Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh
(b) Middle sector - Ladakh
(c) Eastern sector - Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand
(d) Eastern sector - Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh
→ (d)
Ladakh is the western sector, Himachal and Uttarakhand make the middle sector, and Sikkim with Arunachal makes the eastern sector.
Q3. The Nathu La clash with Chinese forces, in which Indian forces held their ground, took place in:
(a) 1967
(b) 1962
(c) 1971
(d) 1975
→ (a)
The clash was on 11-14 September 1967; the Cho La clash followed on 1 October 1967. 1962 was the war, 1971 the Bangladesh war and 1975 the year Sikkim became a State.
Q4. Consider the following statements:
1. Sherathang is the Indian trade mart for the Nathu La border trade route.
2. The Nathu La route was reopened for border trade in 2006.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
→ (c)
Sherathang, about 5 km from the pass, is the Indian mart, and trade reopened on 6 July 2006 after 44 years.
Q5. Sikkim became a State of the Indian Union in:
(a) 1947
(b) 1956
(c) 1966
(d) 1975
→ (d)
Sikkim was a protectorate until 1975, when it became the 22nd State through the Thirty-sixth Constitutional Amendment.
Q6. In an Army, the usual order of formations from the largest to the smallest is:
(a) Corps, command, division, brigade
(b) Command, corps, division, brigade
(c) Command, division, corps, brigade
(d) Corps, division, command, brigade
→ (b)
A command holds corps, a corps holds divisions, and a division holds brigades, each of which has battalions.
Q7. The Siliguri Corridor, near which the Trishakti Corps headquarters stands, is best described as:
(a) A mountain pass between Sikkim and Tibet
(b) A river valley between Bhutan and Assam
(c) A narrow land link between the North-East and the rest of India
(d) A plateau between Nepal and Bangladesh
→ (c)
It is only about 20-22 km wide at its narrowest and is the sole land link to the North-East.
Q8. Which of the following terms did the Raksha Mantri list among the modern security challenges at Sukna?
1. Hybrid warfare
2. Drone incursions
3. Information warfare
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
(a) 1, 2 and 3
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1 and 3 only
→ (a)
He named hybrid warfare, proxy wars, cyber-attacks, drone incursions and information warfare.
📋 How this gets asked (PYQ pattern)
Frontier stories like this one come up in three kinds of questions. The first is geography of passes and sectors: which pass belongs to which state, which sector of the LAC is which, and which neighbours border the Siliguri Corridor. The usual form is a match-the-following with one deliberate swap, as in Q2 above.
The second is organisation of the Army: command, corps, division and brigade in the right order, who commands each, and which command guards which frontier. The trap is to mix Northern, Eastern and Central Commands, or to reverse corps and division.
The third is modern warfare vocabulary. Expect a definition of hybrid, proxy or information warfare with three close paraphrases, or a statement-based question like Q8. The fresh hooks for this cycle are Trishakti Corps and Sukna, the Sikkim sector of the LAC, Sherathang and Nathu La and the Barakhana tradition.
Preparing for NDA? Draw one outline map of the Himalayan frontier and mark each LAC sector, the main passes and the Army command that watches each. Read our Indian Army notes and the NDA study material alongside it. Follow the daily NDA current affairs, and learn with experienced faculty in the upcoming Cavalier courses in Delhi.
Source: PIB / Ministry of Defence, "Raksha Mantri reviews infrastructure development along LAC & deployment of advanced military equipment during visit to Trishakti Corps at Sukna", 7 November 2026, and "Raksha Mantri celebrates Deepawali with troops in forward areas of Sikkim", 8 November 2026. Background on 33 Corps, Nathu La trade and the Baba Harbhajan Singh Memorial from Army and public-record sources; the National War Memorial's dedication date from PIB.
✍️ Written by Col Vijayant Thakur — Veteran, Indian Army; SSB & defence-studies faculty at The Cavalier. Reviewed by the Cavalier Faculty Desk.