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{{Short description|Operational logistics corps of the Indian Army}}
{{more citations needed|date=February 2018}}{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name = Indian Army Pioneer Corps
| image =
| dates = 1758 – Present
| country = {{flag|India}}
| branch = {{army|India}}
| role = Support, Logistics, Construction and Maintenance
| size = 16 companies
| motto = Shram Sarva Vijayee (With Labour, everything can be won/ [[labor omnia vincit]])
| battles = World War 1 World War 2 Basantar Shamshernagar Keran Tithwal Kargil Mushkoh Operation Vijay Operation Deewar OP Pawan OP Parakram Indo-Pak Wars
| decorations = [[File:Sena Medal ribbon.svg|50px]] 3 [[Sena Medal]] 
[[File:Kirti Chakra ribbon.svg|50px]] 3 [[Kirti Chakra]] 
[[File:Shaurya Chakra ribbon.svg|50px]] 6 [[Shaurya Chakra]] 
Presidential Colours
}}
[[File:Indian pioneers.png|thumb|right|305x305px|Pioneers of the British Indian Army. Left to right: 34th Sikh Pioneers, 12th Pioneers, 128th Pioneers, 81st Pioneers, 64th Pioneers, 61st King George's Own Pioneers, 48th Pioneers, 23rd Sikh Pioneers, 106th Hazara Pioneers, 34th Sikh Pioneers, 107th Pioneers (Water colour by AC Lovett in ''Armies of India'', 1911)]]
The '''Indian Army Pioneer Corps''' or '''Pioneers''' is the operational logistics arm of the Indian Army. Though not a combat arm, the Pioneer Corps provide disciplined and well trained manpower where civilian labour is either not available or its employment is not desirable for reasons of security. Pioneer units are mostly committed in forward and operational areas. Although the Pioneer Corps were at one time the third largest troop in the Army and had a total of 26 Pioneer Companies even till 1999, today there are 21 Pioneer Units under various commands.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-karnataka/pioneer-corps-presented-presidential-colours/article3052457.ece|title=Pioneer Corps presented Presidential Colours|date=2006-11-25|work=The Hindu|access-date=2018-02-01|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/india/army.htm|title=India - Army|last=Pike|first=John|access-date=2018-02-01|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://topyaps.com/branches-of-the-indian-army|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150625233132/http://topyaps.com/branches-of-the-indian-army|url-status=usurped|archive-date=June 25, 2015|title=21 Different Branches Of Indian Army That Make It Such An Efficient Defence Force|last=Mishra|first=Rishabh|date=2015-06-24|work=TopYaps|access-date=2018-02-01|language=en-US}}</ref> The Pioneer Corps Training Center (PCTC) is currently located in [[Bangalore]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/74-new-recruits-join-pioneer-corps/article7342364.ece|title=74 new recruits join Pioneer Corps|last=Correspindent|first=Special|date=2015-06-22|work=The Hindu|access-date=2018-02-01|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/bengaluru/2016/feb/09/ww-ii-veteran-bids-goodbye-at-95-890129.html|title=WW-II Veteran Bids Goodbye at 95|work=The New Indian Express|access-date=2018-02-01}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/30075913|title=badge, headdress, Indian, Indian Pioneer Corps {{!}} Imperial War Museums|website=www.iwm.org.uk|language=en|access-date=2018-02-01}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.vidteq.com/Bangalore/Pioneer-Corps-Training-Centre/Story|title=Pioneer Corps Training Centre|access-date=2018-02-01|archive-date=2018-02-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180201193317/http://www.vidteq.com/Bangalore/Pioneer-Corps-Training-Centre/Story|url-status=dead}}</ref>

== Functions and roles ==
* Provide logistic support to the fighting forces - with the service corps it brings up vital supplies and stores, with the ordnance corps it keeps up the flow of guns and ammunition
* Loading and unloading of stores, rations, equipment and ammunition over land, sea, and air
* Detect and are involved in laying and breaching of landmines and minefields
* Construction, activation and maintenance of roads, mule tracks, border fences, bridges, airstrips, railways, aerodromes and helipads
* Works in hospitals or acts as stretcher bearers with frontline troops
* Opening and maintenance of Jawahar Tunnel, [[Zojila Pass]], Sadhna & Tithwal Passes (J&K)
* Laying and breaching of mines and minefields
* Carrying back the body bags during ‘[[Operation Vijay (1999)|Operation Vijay]]’ in the higher reaches of Kargil, Drass and Mushkoh.
* Bringing back the wounded from recaptured entrenchments
* Expatriating prisoners of war

== History ==
'''Pre-Independence of India'''

The origin of the Indian Pioneer Corps dates back to 1758 when the first Pioneer Companies was formed, the [[Madras Pioneers]], [[Bombay Engineer Group|Bombay Pioneers]], [[Sikh Pioneers & Sikh Light Infantry Association UK|Sikh Pioneer]] and the [[106th Hazara Pioneers|Hazara Pioneers]]. After being disbanded for many years, the Pioneer Corps was re-raised during [[World War II|World War-II]] in the following to provide semi skilled labour to work with Engineer units or tasks such as demolition, construction of roads, tracks bridges, defences & water supply and to provide unskilled labour where required. By the wars end a total of approximately 300,000 such workers had been engaged of which 21,000 were Indians.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.paopctcblr.gov.in/readmore.html|title=Office of the PAO(ORs) PCTC Bangalore|website=www.paopctcblr.gov.in|access-date=2018-02-01}}{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
[[File:British Indian Army pioneers at the Ladder of Tyre during WWI.jpg|thumb|right|305x305px|British Indian Army Sikh Pioneers building a new road on the most difficult section of the [[Ladder of the Tyrians|Ladder of Tyre]] in September/October 1918 during the pursuit of the Ottoman Yildirim Army]]

Extensive use was made of pioneers in the British Indian Army because of the demands of campaigning in difficult terrain with little or no [[infrastructure]]. The twelve Indian Pioneer regiments in existence in 1914 were trained and equipped for road, rail and [[engineer]]ing work, as well as for conventional infantry service. While this dual function did not qualify them to be regarded as elite units, the frequency with which they saw active service made postings to pioneer regiments popular with British officers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.reubique.com/indpion.htm|title=Indian Pioneer Battalions by Ó Lieutenant Colonel Edward De Santis|date=1977}}</ref>

The Pioneer Corps were disbanded in 1933 and their personnel mostly transferred into the Corps of Sappers and Miners, whose role they had come to parallel. It was concluded that the Pioneer battalions had become less technically effective than the Sappers and Miners, but too well trained in specialist functions to warrant being used as ordinary infantry. In addition, their major role of frontier road building had now been allocated to civilian workers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.royalpioneercorps.co.uk/rpc/history_main1.htm|title=Royal Pioneer Corps & Royal Pioneer Association|last=Brown|first=Norman Brown & Paul|website=www.royalpioneercorps.co.uk|access-date=2018-02-01}}</ref>

'''Post-Independence of India'''

The re-organization commenced in 1940 at [[Jhelum District|Jhelum]] (now in Pakistan). Thereafter it became the Auxiliary Pioneers Corps in 1941 and subsequently the Indian Auxiliary Pioneer Corps with effect from 13 October 1942. 25 November 1941 is celebrated as the Raising day of the Pioneer Corp. An Indian Pioneer Corps was re-established in 1943 and now have 16 companies.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://indianarmy.nic.in/Site/FormTemplete/frmTempSimple.aspx?MnId=iwJGTS0dOEgEp/wbulg5IQ==&ParentID=HjuqT5dxnJrWXcJZ4DbVSA==|title=Pioneer Corps Ethos|website=Indian Army Official Website}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://indianarmy.nic.in/Site/FormTemplete/frmTempSimple.aspx?MnId=cocos60b6KdNHlxtd2I2cw==&ParentID=BWKVjAQdZcJtbjuY0qz92Q==&flag=Ow64LhREgrASHkA/nCyaSw==|title=Pioneer Corps History|website=Indian Army}}</ref>

=== [[Operation Vijay (1999)|Operation Vijay]] ===
In 1999 during Operation Vijay, two Pioneer Companies worked non-stop along with [[Border Roads Organisation]] to ensure that the lines of communication on the Srinagar-Leh, the Jammu-Poonch-Rajouri and Jammu-Srinagar areas remained open at all times.<ref name=":0" />

== See also ==
* [[Indian Army]]
* [[106th Hazara Pioneers]]
* [[Madras Pioneers]]
* [[Pioneer (military)]]
* [[Indian Army Service Corps]]

== References ==
<references/>
{{Indian Army arms and services}}

[[Category:Administrative corps of the Indian Army]]
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1758]]

Indian Army Pioneer Corps - Revision history

CleanupBot at 03:42, 22 March 2026