According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, India’s defence spending has risen because of heightened tensions with China & Pakistan.
The last time this matter flared up was when Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, in a very similar directive in April, called for the relocation of stray dogs in the capital.
Finance ministry says the proposed revamp will focus on structural reforms, rate rationalisation & ease of living, & will be deliberated upon in the coming weeks.
The project is meant to be a ‘protective shield that will keep expanding’, the PM said. It is on the lines of the ‘Golden Dome’ announced by Trump, it is learnt.
Now that both IAF and PAF have made formal claims of having shot down the other’s aircraft in the 87-hour war in May, we can ask a larger question: do such numbers really matter?
Very superficial analysis of the problem. When a large chunk of defence budget is used to pay the civilian babus (leeches) in MOD and accounted unjustly to the defence forces the discussion is lopsided as it is? This could and should be used for defence procurement. The large chunk of defence budget is used to pay the civilian babus (leeches) in MOD should be debited to the budgets from where the civilian babus are paid from instead.
Guess how much FDI India received in defence manufacturing in the last five years. 1.26 crores. When I first saw the figure, thought it must be a misprint, it should read 1.26 trillion. 2. Seventy years of modern Indian history has taught us – especially since the Congress hegemony broke down around 1967 – that there is no concept of “ political capital “ which is required to get big things done. It is a cliche’ now to refer to PM PVNR and the reforms of 1991. Or take the other alibi : We don’t have the numbers in the Rajya Sabha. The simple fact is that GoI has enormous powers. Also control over what I feel is too large a proportion of the country’s financial resources, by way of taxes and borrowings. All that the column urges for the second term was entirely feasible during the first. There are probably fewer than a dozen MPs who are deeply knowledgeable about matters of defence. Not many debates of a very high standard in Parliament. Pakistan has proved to be politically prolific, else this is not a matter of priority the political class.
Very superficial analysis of the problem. When a large chunk of defence budget is used to pay the civilian babus (leeches) in MOD and accounted unjustly to the defence forces the discussion is lopsided as it is? This could and should be used for defence procurement. The large chunk of defence budget is used to pay the civilian babus (leeches) in MOD should be debited to the budgets from where the civilian babus are paid from instead.
Guess how much FDI India received in defence manufacturing in the last five years. 1.26 crores. When I first saw the figure, thought it must be a misprint, it should read 1.26 trillion. 2. Seventy years of modern Indian history has taught us – especially since the Congress hegemony broke down around 1967 – that there is no concept of “ political capital “ which is required to get big things done. It is a cliche’ now to refer to PM PVNR and the reforms of 1991. Or take the other alibi : We don’t have the numbers in the Rajya Sabha. The simple fact is that GoI has enormous powers. Also control over what I feel is too large a proportion of the country’s financial resources, by way of taxes and borrowings. All that the column urges for the second term was entirely feasible during the first. There are probably fewer than a dozen MPs who are deeply knowledgeable about matters of defence. Not many debates of a very high standard in Parliament. Pakistan has proved to be politically prolific, else this is not a matter of priority the political class.