Page 65 - NIS-English 16-31 May 2022
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Duty
                                                                                                     Towards Duty
                                                                                                     Towards
                                                                                                        Path
                                                                                                        Path
                              REVAMPING                                                         Years
                                                                                                Years


                           THE DEFENCE SECTOR





              he image of the Ministry of Defence in India had been built over the years as a gigantic
              organization that was lacking adeptness and working at a tardy pace. This ministry not only
        Thandles the defence of the country but also the administration of a huge army (Army, Navy,
        Air Force, and Coast Guard) with about 15 lakh soldiers. This ministry traditionally receives the
        highest allocation in the budget. Amidst these challenges, a new government was sworn in under
        the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014. For several decades the issue of building
        defence capabilities was largely ignored which has to be given attention on a priority basis. The
        government took the initiative of Make in India in defence production and at the same time gave key
        priority to the construction of necessary infrastructure for the army to counter external exigencies...


        DEFENCE     PROCUREMENT        POLICY    GIVES
        LEVERAGE TO SWADESHI
        The  announcement of the  Defence  Procurement        Approval for purchase of   India was among
        Policy 2016 was the first step toward bringing about       indigenous Tejas at  the top
        a fundamental change in the procurement of defence
        equipment in the country. This policy itself acts as         `48,000  25
        a guide. As per its  provisions Indian  companies,    Crore. To strengthen the   exporters for the first
        which envisage  and  develop defence products  in    Air Force, 36 Rafale were   time.
        the country and are capable of producing them here,   purchased from France.
        should be given priority while buying equipment and
        weapons for the three armies of the country.  So far, 3
        lists of a total of 310 defence products/systems have
        been issued, the import of which will be restricted and   It was decided to buy  36 Rafale aircraft from
        purchased within  the  country.  India  has  earmarked   France. By February 2022, 35 of these aircraft
        68 per cent of its capital procurement budget for the   have reached India. Their squadrons have been
        defence sector for the domestic industry.                  deployed at Ambala and Hasimara airbases.

        TAKING CARE OF EVERY NEED...
        The  next  step  for  the  Ministry  of Defence  was
        to identify  those  important schemes  in  the  three
        services,  which  required immediate  funding  and
        implementation. For example, the work of procuring
        50,000 bulletproof jackets was done on a fast track
        basis as there was an acute shortage of bulletproof
        jackets for the jawans deployed in counter-terrorism
        and anti-infiltration operations. The helmets which are
        very important for the safety of the soldiers were not
        available to them in adequate numbers. The work of
        buying helmets for the soldiers was started after
        a long gap of almost two decades.  The
        deal, worth about Rs 180 crore,
        was  entrusted  to  a  Kanpur-
        based    company,    MKU
        Industries,  to  manufacture
        1.58  lakh  helmets.  After the
        surgical strikes  on Pakistan


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