Page 66 - NIS-English 16-31 May 2022

Towards
Towards Duty
Duty
Path
Path
Years
Years
Army given the power of purchase SELF-RELIANCE INITIATIVE IN DEFENCE SECTOR

In the Union Budget 2022- STRONG
23, the Capital Allocations INFRASTRUCTURE ON
pertaining to modernization THE BORDER An
and infrastructure index
development of the Armed 2008 to 2014 campaign was run
Forces have been significantly to connect startups
increased to Rs 1.52 lakh
crore. 3600 7270 with small-scale
Allowing Financial powers KM ROAD BRIDGES industries.
to clear projects up to Rs
100 crore and 200 crores to 2014-2021 A
commanding level officers ABOUT Started
of the three services and 5547 making arms separate
Vice Chief of Army Staff KM ROAD 15,000 and accessories budget of Rs
respectively. BRIDGES under 52000 crore.
Financial approval up to Make in India. for manufacturing
Rs.500 crore per project
has been given to the three
services for the purchase of 2
lethal arms and ammunition. Defence
Corridors were
PURCHASE OF LETHAL set up in Tamil Nadu
WEAPONS: The first and Uttar Pradesh to
consignment of the S-400 promote indigenous
air defence systems has manufacturing.
been received from Russia.
Kalashnikov AK-203 will now
be made in the country itself.
Dhanush, K9 Vajra, Sharang, Creation of CDS
and Ultra Light Howitzer guns
are now being manufactured in The demand for the creation of the post of
the country. To strengthen the Chief of Defence Staff, which had been going
Navy, 6 Scorpene submarines on for years for better coordination between
have been built in India itself. the armies, was accepted. General Bipin Rawat
GIVING MORE TEETH TO was appointed as the first CDS.
UAPA
To root out terrorism, by
amending the bill, the National CRACKDOWN ON TERRORISTS
Investigation Agency (NIA)
has been given wide powers. The number of terrorist incidents in Jammu and
It was made more stringent
by amending the Unlawful Kashmir has come down significantly after the
Activities (Prevention) abrogation of Article 370.
Act-UAPA.

in September 2016, the Cabinet Committee on used in the army, the stockpiling and availability
Security authorized the three forces to approve of 125 had gone below this level of danger."
defence deals worth Rs 20 thousand crores Apart from this, the storage and availability of other 50
through a fast track process in the backdrop of types of weapons that had not reached this level were
any unexpected misadventure from Pakistan. also in very critical condition. We did not even have
It was necessary to take these steps on priority 10 days of weapons in case of any kind of war. This
because the previous governments had neglected delicate and dangerous situation has been rectified
even the basic needs of the three services. In this now. The work of distributing 35 lakh 'Ayushman'
regard, the report of the Comptroller and Auditor health cards to the personnel and their families
General presented in Parliament clearly stated that of seven forces under the Central Armed Forces
"Despite the minimum acceptable level of danger, has been completed. Under this, they can avail of
the stockpiling of weapons was not ensured. In cashless treatment in 24 thousand hospitals across
March 2013, out of a total of 179 types of weapons the country.

64 New India Samachar May 16-31, 2022