Army corps headquarters make a favourite exam trap. Two corps are often swapped. This lesson ties each corps to its real city and its nickname.
At a glance
Four key facts on this topic
Contents
Must Know · Corps and headquarters
Which corps sits where?
1.1 What are the five pairs to know?
| Corps | Nickname | Headquarters |
|---|---|---|
| 3 Corps | Spear Corps | Dimapur (Rangapahar) |
| 4 Corps | Gajraj Corps | Tezpur |
| 14 Corps | Fire and Fury Corps | Leh |
| 15 Corps | Chinar Corps | Srinagar |
| 33 Corps | Trishakti Corps | Sukna |
Sources: PIB, The Tribune, ANI, Kashmir Life, NorthEast Now, AIR News. Nicknames are as used in those reports.
Four of these pairs appeared in a UPSC question. Add 15 Corps, because it is the usual wrong answer.
1.2 Why learn nicknames too?
News reports use both forms. One report says “Leh-based 14 Corps, also known as the Fire & Fury Corps”. Another says “Gajraj Corps (4 Corps)”. Learn each number with its nickname and city.
Think it through: A report says the Chinar Corps took a new commander. Which city is that?
Chinar Corps is 15 Corps. Its headquarters is Srinagar.
Sources
Good to Know · The 33 Corps trap
Is 33 Corps in Srinagar?
2.1 Where is 33 Corps?
No. The headquarters of 33 Corps is at Sukna. It is at Sukna cantonment, Darjeeling. The Tribune describes it as the Sukna-based headquarters of 33 Corps.
AIR News also names Sukna cantonment, Darjeeling, and calls it the 33 Corps Headquarters.
2.2 What does it guard?
The Tribune says 33 Corps guards the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China in the Sikkim sector. PIB calls the same Sukna base the Headquarters of Trishakti Corps.
2.3 Where is 15 Corps, then?
15 Corps is at Srinagar. Kashmir Life says the Chinar Corps is headquartered there. It guards the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir.
Sources
- The Tribune: Rajnath reviews LAC situation in eastern sector at Army's Trishakti Corps in Sukna
- All India Radio News: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh performs Shastra Puja on Bijoya Dashami
- PIB, Ministry of Defence, 9 April 2023: CDS visits forward areas in North Bengal and HQs Trishakti Corps
- PIB, Ministry of Defence, 4 April 2026: CDS reviews operational readiness of Chinar Corps
- PIB, President's Secretariat, 26 July 2019: President at Chinar Corps (15 corps) War Memorial
Great to Know · The rest of the pairs
Where are the other three?
3.1 Where is 3 Corps?
3 Corps is at Dimapur. PIB places HQ 3 Corps at Rangapahar Military Station, Dimapur. A 2021 PIB report calls the Dimapur base the Corps Headquarters of the Spear Corps.
3.2 Where is 4 Corps?
4 Corps is at Tezpur, Assam. PIB mentions the 4 Corps Headquarters in Tezpur, Assam. NorthEast Now calls it the Gajraj Corps.
3.3 Where is 14 Corps?
14 Corps is at Leh. ANI describes the Leh-based 14 Corps as the Fire and Fury Corps. A 2026 PIB release names the GOC 14 Corps at a Leh hospital event.
Sources
- PIB, Ministry of Defence, 19 August 2022: Army Chief visits Dimapur
- PIB, Ministry of Defence, 21 May 2021: Army Chief reviews operational readiness in the North-East
- PIB, Ministry of Defence, 30 October 2024: Raksha Mantri celebrates Diwali with troops in Tezpur
- PIB, Ministry of Defence, 23 October 2023: Raksha Mantri reaches Tezpur
- PIB, Ministry of Defence, 30 April 2026: Op Netra 1.0 eye camp in Leh
Exam Practice
Exam traps and the PYQ
4.1 What did UPSC ask?
UPSC CSP 2026, GS Paper I, Series A, Q73. Which one of the following pairs is not correctly matched?
(Indian Army Corps) — (Headquarters)
(a) 3 Corps : Dimapur
(b) 4 Corps : Tezpur
(c) 14 Corps : Leh
(d) 33 Corps : Srinagar
UPSC’s provisional key gives (d). The final key may differ, so check UPSC’s site. The reasons here are ours, from the sources above.
4.2 Why is (d) the odd one out?
- 3 Corps : Dimapur is correct.
- 4 Corps : Tezpur is correct.
- 14 Corps : Leh is correct.
- 33 Corps : Srinagar is wrong. 33 Corps is at Sukna. Srinagar belongs to 15 Corps.
4.3 How do you avoid the swap?
- Say the pair twice. 15 goes with Srinagar. 33 goes with Sukna.
- Use the nickname. Chinar is Srinagar. Trishakti is Sukna.
- Read “not correctly matched” slowly. You hunt for the wrong pair, not the right one.
Remember this
- 3 Corps: Dimapur. Spear Corps.
- 4 Corps: Tezpur. Gajraj Corps.
- 14 Corps: Leh. Fire and Fury Corps.
- 15 Corps: Srinagar. Chinar Corps.
- 33 Corps: Sukna. Trishakti Corps.
Explain it back: Say why 33 Corps : Srinagar was the wrong pair in the exam question.
Check your understanding
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MCQ on Indian Army Corps and Headquarters
Try 6 practice questions on which corps sits where.
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