http://www.tribuneindia.com/2014/20140302/nation.htm#1
Ex-Army Chief VK Singh joins BJP
Vibha Sharma
Tribune News
Service
New Delhi, March 1
Former Army Chief
General VK Singh, who was engaged in a bitter battle with the Congress-led
government over his age, today made a formal entry into politics. He finally
joined the BJP — along with a number of ex-servicemen from the Army, Navy and
the Air Force — in the presence of party President Rajnath Singh.
“I saw the BJP as nationalist
party,” the former Army Chief said, explaining his reason for joining the
saffron party. “We, who have served on the borders, decided to work with
nationalist forces. So we have decided to join the BJP to bring a government
which is stable, strong and is able to take decisions in national interest,” he
said amid cheers and slogans proclaiming him as “Defence Minister”.
VK Singh was the first serving
military chief to drag the government to court and now becomes one of the few
top-ranking officers to turn into a politician. Though he was seen sharing the
dais with BJP’s PM candidate Narendra Modi at Rewari, he had so far been ruling
out joining the political party, saying that he was firmly behind activist Anna
Hazare in his crusade against corruption.
Sources say that Anna may be
seen canvassing for the BJP now that the General has formally joined the
saffron party.
VK Singh may be fielded from
Rajasthan -- the state he was born in. Two seats are being considered, one
being Jhunjhunu. However, his known critic Lt-Gen Raj Kadyan (retd) is the AAP
candidate from there. Sources say the BJP is considering a “safer seat” in
Rajasthan though the option of Bhiwani is also an option. He comes from the
Bapora village in the district.
Being a Rajput, he will find
support in Rajasthan and adjoining areas. Among the constituencies in Haryana
adjoining Rajasthan is Mahendergarh — a seat which is likely to be contested by
Sudha Yadav.
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2014/20140302/nation.htm#4
Rajnath woos ex-servicemen with welfare panel
Tribune News
Service
New Delhi, March 1
BJP president
Rajnath Singh today promised to take care of the Armed Forces personnel and
ex-servicemen by assuring an ex-servicemen welfare commission. Citing recent
mishaps involving the Navy, he charged the Congress-led UPA with not paying
attention to military modernisation.
“It is a shame that brave men
have to die in such accidents,” he said, referring to the recent submarine
accident.
He welcomed former Army Chief
VK Singh and other senior retired officers into the party fold and attacked the
government over ceasefire violations by Pakistan, including the beheading of
two Indian soldiers and intrusions by China.
“The country needs a strong
government with Narendra Modi at the helm to ensure that no one can mess with
the country,” he said.
He said the Congress-led
coalition had not looked after the Armed Forces and its personnel. He stressed
the need for indigenous production of weapons.
The BJP chief questioned the
government over the timing of the “one-rank, one-pension” decision, saying it
came too late clearly with an eye on the upcoming elections.
He claimed that the BJP had
been in favour of the decision and had raised the issue in Parliament several
times.
Rajnath Singh also promised a
war memorial. Those who joined today included Lt General P Chaudhary, Lt
General AK Chopra, AVM Bordoloi and Commodore Awasthi.
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2014/20140302/edit.htm#2
Time ripe for
action against militants in Pakistan
Nasim Zehra
Militant violence
has increasingly alienated their supporters and even the fence-sitters. When
militants kill polio workers and declare polio drops un-Islamic, sympathy for
them starts waning.
"You hit us
once and we will hit you twice. That’s what people like in my area. They say
Nawaz Sharif is doing the right thing now," explains Adil, the man who
lives in Bhara Khau on the outskirts of Islamabad.
Adil had been in
awe of Lal Masjid’s prayer leader Abdul Aziz Sahib, who is now in the Taliban
team nominated for negotiations with the government. Adil had rejoiced the
return of Lal Masjid to Aziz and helped them repaint the mosque. He would also
bring the weekly Taliban supported newspaper from Rawalpindi. Adil vocally
supported its editorial thrust on how Pakistani society must be "cleansed
of all evil". Often he would recall its stories about Taliban providing
prompt justice to the corrupt and the immoral in society. When all else did not
work the way Adil — from the less advantaged segment of Pakistani society —
wanted, the Taliban panacea was attractive.
And so a narrative
was born. The killing machines of the militants found greater resonance in the
hearts of the poor than the state machinery’s constitutionally approved killing
machines. It began some decades ago with the Afghan jihad in the ’80s
bankrolled by global powers.
But in recent
weeks much appears to have changed. Millions of Pakistan’s Adils are now
watching with shock the videos of beheaded soldiers, paramilitary and the
police. Deadly bomb blasts are routine and so are the militants’ messages
taking responsibility. Their justification for turning Pakistan into an
expanding killing field ranges from wanting to impose "real Sharia",
extricating Pakistan from a US war, to asking for an end to drones.
What may have
appealed to many, including some of the political leaders, is now cutting
almost no ice. Now the loudest voices are of those who are opposing militants
and demanding use of force against militants who don’t surrender
unconditionally. The young PPP chairman, Bilalwal Bhutto, wants no talks with
the ones of a beastly character. "They want Islam promoted from the seas
of blood that their terrorism is creating in Pakistan," Bilawal thunders.
When he seeks a peaceful Islam that has been Pakistan’s pre-Eighties legacy,
even non-PPP supporters sit up, listen and nod in agreement.
Militant violence
has increasingly alienated their supporters and even the fence-sitters. When militants
kill polio workers and declare polio drops un-Islamic, sympathy for them starts
waning. Many of the militants have publicly trashed the Constitution and talked
of forcing their own version of Sharia. This combined with the gross beheading
clips has given it the unlikely but powerful title of ‘pornography of
death".
The stronger the
militants’ actions against the people and the State, the greater the space for
government action. Some has already begun. Air attacks in different regions of
FATA, including in Mir Ali and Tirah Valley, are on. Often intelligence sharing
between Pakistan and the US helps pinpoint militant hideouts.
The government is
in no hurry to launch a quick operation but clearly that is what the signs are.
Regular meetings are now held between the President, Prime Minister, Interior
Minister, army chief and the ISI chief to devise plans for a ground offensive.
The Prime Minister has called a meeting of the four chief ministers to discuss
timings, impact and blowback.
Humanitarian
problems are emerging in the form of displacement of local population. A
similar ground and air operation against the militants in Swat — Operation
Rah-i-Raast — was conducted in July 2009, which prompted 2.5 million local
people to leave their homes. Similar dislocations will likely accompany news of
military operations in North Waziristan, the preparations for which have been
underway for the past two months.
The political
leadership, which is also the army’s constitutional authority, is now almost
all decided on the operation. They know that the Adils of Pakistan may now be
far more receptive to such action, which needs the support of the people of
Pakistan. How much support is generated will depend on how the government
communicates its motives, plan and compulsions for the operation.
The message from
the government still lacks clarity on the reasons for the operation. While the
confusion over timing and the kind of action the Interior Minister is adept at
creating may have a reason, the articulation of why an operation is required
will brook no clumsy takes. The message has to be convincing. The narrative has
to touch people’s hearts. As in other societies, with the many divides across
class, religions, regions and parties, a less than convincing narrative can
create resentment once the fallout of an operation hits the civilians.
In the coming
days, better articulation is expected while the army prepares to put its best
foot forward to clear the militant bases from where terrorist attacks have
haunted million of Pakistan’s Adils and others.
http://www.coolage.in/2014/02/28/ins-sindhuratna-mishap-rotten-government-is-plaguing-indian-def/
INS Sindhuratna
Mishap: Rotten Government is Plaguing Indian Defense Forces
Indian Navy's
fortunes seem to be running precariously low. In last single year alone, our
sea guardians have suffered momentous damage to their fleet, with as many as 10
serious accidents of inexplicable sabotage to Navy's refurbished vessels.
Wednesday brought some more terrible tidings for Indian Sea forces as another
submarine malfunctioned, causing grievous damage to the sailors on board.
INS Sindhuratna,
the Russian-origin kilo Class submarine, is the latest Indian vessel to fall
victim to a string of mishaps plaguing the Men in Blue. The submarine was
undergoing sea trial after a six-month refurbishment in Mumbai when a leakage
in the battery compartment of the vessel led to fire onboard. The smoke was so
intense that seven sailors passed out instantly from suffocation and had to be
airlifted to a Navy Hospital. However, lieutenant commander Kapil Muwal and
lieutenant Manoranjan Kumar, both from electric section, lost their lives.
This is the 10th
mishap involving a Naval warship in last 7 months. Navy's woes began last year
with INS Sindhurakshak, a Sindhugosh class conventionally powered submarine,
which sank in the Mumbai harbor after an explosion, killing all18 sailors onboard.
It was the worst tragedy in the history of Indian sea forces. The cause of
explosion, despite investigation, remains unknown.
On Dec 4, 2013,
INS Konkan caught fire at the naval dockyard in Visakhapatnam. A fortnight
later, INS Talwar rammed into a trawler. January this year, INS Betwa ran
aground, sustaining serious damage to its critical equipment. In the same month
again, two more accidents were reported, casting aspersion over the worthiness
of Navy's fleet.
What is of utmost
significance in these spate of disasters suffered by Indian naval forces is the
fact that the sinking of INS Sindhurakshak last year in August and now fire
onboard INS Sindhuratna happened within months of both the vessels undergoing
refits. In the former case, the submarine blew up and submerged in six months
of receiving highly-financed upgradation.
A whooping 815
crores were spent on sprucing up the war vessel, but it all went up in flames
on Aug 14, 2013 when the powerful submarine turned into ashes. The fact-finding
inquiry into the cause of explosion came a cropper as the investigators
couldn't zero in on what triggered the blasting of the submarine. The failure
of investigating team to pinpoint the reason behind the sinking of INS
Sindhurakshak did not go down well with a parliamentary panel, which raised
serious and valid question of how could a recently refurbished vessel can go up
in flames in just six months of it getting spruced up.
It's the same
story with the latest accident involving INS Sindhuratna. The submarine was
renovated and underwent extensive repairs in December last year. In other
words, it's hardly been a couple of months since its overhaul but the vessel
has already become dodgy, showing glaring gaps in its operational capacity and
raising serious questions over its fitness to safeguard India's interest.
What is more
worrisome is that all these mishaps have exposed the chinks in India's security
armor. Our naval forces' fighting capability has taken a nasty hit in last one
year alone. Currently India operates 12 submarines, however, by 2015, half of
these war vessels will be phased out, leaving India with a skimpy fleet of 5 or
6 submarines. In other words, in a couple of years this shrinkage of our naval
fleet will eliminate India' strategic advantage, whatever little there is, over
Pakistani naval force as both countries will have equal number of submarines by
2015.
If this is bad
news, terrible is yet to come if we draw a comparison with Chinese marine
strength. China already has an impressive tally of around 50 powerful
submarines at its disposal. India, on the other hand, as we know, is nowhere in
the picture to match this mighty seafaring army. This fact bears testimony to
the present day reality that how massively China has modernized its naval
forces, whereas Indian Navy has been plummeting to new lows every passing day,
thanks to inept and indifferent political dispensation.
The failure to
modernize and equip our armed and sea forces with latest technology is at the
heart of these recurrent disasters which are plaguing both Indian navy as well
the army. Paucity of funds, dependence on foreign suppliers, inordinate delays
in procuring parts for overhaul, apathetic Congress and a slack Defence
minister have together made sure that guardians of our territory remain most
backward.
"If our
submarine are going up in flames every now and then, Indian Air forces' aging
MiG and Sukhoi are going down more often than is heard of in other
nations," said Ratnakar Kumar, a student at DU. Now the failure of defence
ministry to seal Rafale Fighter deal has added to Indian Air Force's troubles.
The situation is
indeed precarious for our security forces that are expected to guard the nation
at all times, but little thought is given to the fact that defending a country'
frontiers is easier said done. Our men on the ground need best and cutting-edge
technology to counter the rising threat of terrorism, sea-pirates and other
contraband activities, however, Indian government treats such critical matters
way too lightly and is busy appeasing minorities to garner votes in the
upcoming Lokshabha elections.
Navy Chief, in a
rare show of moral courage and assuming responsibility for the naval mishaps,
has resigned from his position. But it's not him who should have got the
marching orders; the real culprit is Sonia's government and her party members
who are corrupting the nation. Manmohan Singh is better off silent; AK Antony,
thanks to scatterbrained Indian public, need not explain the matters, but the
real tragedy is our guys on the ground are dying without cause and reason.
Indian Navy's
fortunes seem to be running precariously low. In last single year alone, our
sea guardians have suffered momentous damage to their fleet, with as many as 10
serious accidents of inexplicable sabotage to Navy's refurbished vessels.
Wednesday brought some more terrible tidings for Indian Sea forces as another
submarine malfunctioned, causing grievous damage to the sailors on board.
INS Sindhuratna,
the Russian-origin kilo Class submarine, is the latest Indian vessel to fall
victim to a string of mishaps plaguing the Men in Blue. The submarine was
undergoing sea trial after a six-month refurbishment in Mumbai when a leakage
in the battery compartment of the vessel led to fire onboard. The smoke was so
intense that seven sailors passed out instantly from suffocation and had to be
airlifted to a Navy Hospital. However, lieutenant commander Kapil Muwal and
lieutenant Manoranjan Kumar, both from electric section, lost their lives.
This is the 10th
mishap involving a Naval warship in last 7 months. Navy's woes began last year
with INS Sindhurakshak, a Sindhugosh class conventionally powered submarine,
which sank in the Mumbai harbor after an explosion, killing all18 sailors
onboard. It was the worst tragedy in the history of Indian sea forces. The
cause of explosion, despite investigation, remains unknown.
On Dec 4, 2013,
INS Konkan caught fire at the naval dockyard in Visakhapatnam. A fortnight
later, INS Talwar rammed into a trawler. January this year, INS Betwa ran
aground, sustaining serious damage to its critical equipment. In the same month
again, two more accidents were reported, casting aspersion over the worthiness
of Navy's fleet.
What is of utmost
significance in these spate of disasters suffered by Indian naval forces is the
fact that the sinking of INS Sindhurakshak last year in August and now fire
onboard INS Sindhuratna happened within months of both the vessels undergoing
refits. In the former case, the submarine blew up and submerged in six months
of receiving highly-financed upgradation.
A whooping 815
crores were spent on sprucing up the war vessel, but it all went up in flames
on Aug 14, 2013 when the powerful submarine turned into ashes. The fact-finding
inquiry into the cause of explosion came a cropper as the investigators
couldn't zero in on what triggered the blasting of the submarine. The failure
of investigating team to pinpoint the reason behind the sinking of INS
Sindhurakshak did not go down well with a parliamentary panel, which raised
serious and valid question of how could a recently refurbished vessel can go up
in flames in just six months of it getting spruced up.
It's the same
story with the latest accident involving INS Sindhuratna. The submarine was
renovated and underwent extensive repairs in December last year. In other
words, it's hardly been a couple of months since its overhaul but the vessel
has already become dodgy, showing glaring gaps in its operational capacity and
raising serious questions over its fitness to safeguard India's interest.
What is more
worrisome is that all these mishaps have exposed the chinks in India's security
armor. Our naval forces' fighting capability has taken a nasty hit in last one
year alone. Currently India operates 12 submarines, however, by 2015, half of
these war vessels will be phased out, leaving India with a skimpy fleet of 5 or
6 submarines. In other words, in a couple of years this shrinkage of our naval
fleet will eliminate India' strategic advantage, whatever little there is, over
Pakistani naval force as both countries will have equal number of submarines by
2015.
If this is bad
news, terrible is yet to come if we draw a comparison with Chinese marine
strength. China already has an impressive tally of around 50 powerful
submarines at its disposal. India, on the other hand, as we know, is nowhere in
the picture to match this mighty seafaring army. This fact bears testimony to
the present day reality that how massively China has modernized its naval
forces, whereas Indian Navy has been plummeting to new lows every passing day,
thanks to inept and indifferent political dispensation.
The failure to
modernize and equip our armed and sea forces with latest technology is at the
heart of these recurrent disasters which are plaguing both Indian navy as well
the army. Paucity of funds, dependence on foreign suppliers, inordinate delays
in procuring parts for overhaul, apathetic Congress and a slack Defence
minister have together made sure that guardians of our territory remain most
backward.
"If our
submarine are going up in flames every now and then, Indian Air forces' aging
MiG and Sukhoi are going down more often than is heard of in other
nations," said Ratnakar Kumar, a student at DU. Now the failure of defence
ministry to seal Rafale Fighter deal has added to Indian Air Force's troubles.
The situation is
indeed precarious for our security forces that are expected to guard the nation
at all times, but little thought is given to the fact that defending a country'
frontiers is easier said done. Our men on the ground need best and cutting-edge
technology to counter the rising threat of terrorism, sea-pirates and other
contraband activities, however, Indian government treats such critical matters
way too lightly and is busy appeasing minorities to garner votes in the
upcoming Lokshabha elections.
Navy Chief, in a
rare show of moral courage and assuming responsibility for the naval mishaps,
has resigned from his position. But it's not him who should have got the
marching orders; the real culprit is Sonia's government and her party members
who are corrupting the nation. Manmohan Singh is better off silent; AK Antony,
thanks to scatterbrained Indian public, need not explain the matters, but the
real tragedy is our guys on the ground are dying without cause and reason.
Indian Navy's
fortunes seem to be running precariously low. In last single year alone, our
sea guardians have suffered momentous damage to their fleet, with as many as 10
serious accidents of inexplicable sabotage to Navy's refurbished vessels.
Wednesday brought some more terrible tidings for Indian Sea forces as another
submarine malfunctioned, causing grievous damage to the sailors on board.
INS Sindhuratna,
the Russian-origin kilo Class submarine, is the latest Indian vessel to fall
victim to a string of mishaps plaguing the Men in Blue. The submarine was
undergoing sea trial after a six-month refurbishment in Mumbai when a leakage
in the battery compartment of the vessel led to fire onboard. The smoke was so
intense that seven sailors passed out instantly from suffocation and had to be
airlifted to a Navy Hospital. However, lieutenant commander Kapil Muwal and
lieutenant Manoranjan Kumar, both from electric section, lost their lives.
This is the 10th
mishap involving a Naval warship in last 7 months. Navy's woes began last year
with INS Sindhurakshak, a Sindhugosh class conventionally powered submarine,
which sank in the Mumbai harbor after an explosion, killing all18 sailors
onboard. It was the worst tragedy in the history of Indian sea forces. The
cause of explosion, despite investigation, remains unknown.
On Dec 4, 2013,
INS Konkan caught fire at the naval dockyard in Visakhapatnam. A fortnight
later, INS Talwar rammed into a trawler. January this year, INS Betwa ran
aground, sustaining serious damage to its critical equipment. In the same month
again, two more accidents were reported, casting aspersion over the worthiness
of Navy's fleet.
What is of utmost
significance in these spate of disasters suffered by Indian naval forces is the
fact that the sinking of INS Sindhurakshak last year in August and now fire
onboard INS Sindhuratna happened within months of both the vessels undergoing
refits. In the former case, the submarine blew up and submerged in six months
of receiving highly-financed upgradation.
A whooping 815
crores were spent on sprucing up the war vessel, but it all went up in flames
on Aug 14, 2013 when the powerful submarine turned into ashes. The fact-finding
inquiry into the cause of explosion came a cropper as the investigators
couldn't zero in on what triggered the blasting of the submarine. The failure
of investigating team to pinpoint the reason behind the sinking of INS
Sindhurakshak did not go down well with a parliamentary panel, which raised
serious and valid question of how could a recently refurbished vessel can go up
in flames in just six months of it getting spruced up.
It's the same
story with the latest accident involving INS Sindhuratna. The submarine was
renovated and underwent extensive repairs in December last year. In other
words, it's hardly been a couple of months since its overhaul but the vessel has
already become dodgy, showing glaring gaps in its operational capacity and
raising serious questions over its fitness to safeguard India's interest.
What is more
worrisome is that all these mishaps have exposed the chinks in India's security
armor. Our naval forces' fighting capability has taken a nasty hit in last one
year alone. Currently India operates 12 submarines, however, by 2015, half of
these war vessels will be phased out, leaving India with a skimpy fleet of 5 or
6 submarines. In other words, in a couple of years this shrinkage of our naval
fleet will eliminate India' strategic advantage, whatever little there is, over
Pakistani naval force as both countries will have equal number of submarines by
2015.
If this is bad
news, terrible is yet to come if we draw a comparison with Chinese marine
strength. China already has an impressive tally of around 50 powerful
submarines at its disposal. India, on the other hand, as we know, is nowhere in
the picture to match this mighty seafaring army. This fact bears testimony to
the present day reality that how massively China has modernized its naval
forces, whereas Indian Navy has been plummeting to new lows every passing day,
thanks to inept and indifferent political dispensation.
The failure to
modernize and equip our armed and sea forces with latest technology is at the
heart of these recurrent disasters which are plaguing both Indian navy as well
the army. Paucity of funds, dependence on foreign suppliers, inordinate delays
in procuring parts for overhaul, apathetic Congress and a slack Defence
minister have together made sure that guardians of our territory remain most
backward.
"If our
submarine are going up in flames every now and then, Indian Air forces' aging
MiG and Sukhoi are going down more often than is heard of in other
nations," said Ratnakar Kumar, a student at DU. Now the failure of defence
ministry to seal Rafale Fighter deal has added to Indian Air Force's troubles.
The situation is
indeed precarious for our security forces that are expected to guard the nation
at all times, but little thought is given to the fact that defending a country'
frontiers is easier said done. Our men on the ground need best and cutting-edge
technology to counter the rising threat of terrorism, sea-pirates and other
contraband activities, however, Indian government treats such critical matters
way too lightly and is busy appeasing minorities to garner votes in the
upcoming Lokshabha elections.
Navy Chief, in a
rare show of moral courage and assuming responsibility for the naval mishaps,
has resigned from his position. But it's not him who should have got the
marching orders; the real culprit is Sonia's government and her party members
who are corrupting the nation. Manmohan Singh is better off silent; AK Antony,
thanks to scatterbrained Indian public, need not explain the matters, but the
real tragedy is our guys on the ground are dying without cause and reason.
http://www.idsa.in/idsacomments/IndiasInterimDefenceBudget2014-15_lkbehera_230214
India’s Interim
Defence Budget 2014-15: An Appraisal
Laxman K Behera
February 23, 2014
On February 17,
2014, the Finance Minister while presenting the Interim Union Budget 2014-15 to
the Parliament, allocated Rs 2,24,000 crore (US$ 37.15 billion as per the
prevailing average exchange rate) for the national defence. The interim defence
allocation, which represents a 9.98 per cent increase over the 2013-14 defence
budget is exclusive of Rs 53,582.15 crore for defence pension that includes Rs
500 crore on account of the government’s acceptance of the armed forces’
long-standing demand for One Rank One Pension (OROP) principle. Although the
interim budget is relevant till the new government presents a regular budget
after the 2014 general elections, it nonetheless sets a broad roadmap for
various ministries and departments. Defence being a major charge on the central
government budget, it is worthwhile to look at the interim allocation that
impinges on the modernization and other needs of the Indian armed forces.
Interim Budget:
Growth Factors and Key Elements
It is noteworthy
that the 10 per cent hike in the interim defence budget is with respect to both
budget estimate and revised estimate of 2013-14 allocation. In other words,
there has been no upward or downward revision of the defence allocations
provided in the previous budget. With the overall 2013-14 allocation remaining
same, the capital expenditure has, however, been revised downward by 9.07 per
cent or Rs.7868.48 crore, which has been added to the revenue expenditure.
Around 46 per cent of upward revision of the revenue expenditure has been
necessitated due to the increase in pay and allowances of the three armed
forces.
The increase in
the pay and allowances is also the main reason for bulk of the hike in the
interim defence allocations. Suffice to mention that in the new budget, 48 per
cent of the total increase is accounted for by the hike in armed forces salary
component. Compared to this, the capital expenditure, which mainly caters to
the modernisation requirement of the armed forces, has contributed to only 14
per cent of the total hike.
Table-1 below
provides a comparative overview of the key elements of the interim defence
budget 2014-15 and the defence budget of 2013-14. Among others, it brings out
clearly that although the growth of the interim budget is higher than that of
the previous year’s budget, the growth, as mentioned earlier, is consumed by
swelling revenue expenditure. Consequently, the capital expenditure, its growth
and its share in total defence budget cut an unimpressive outlook. An
interesting aspect of the table is that the share of defence in GDP and total
Central Government Expenditure (CGE) has moved on opposite direction. It is
largely due to the difference in the growth projection of these two parameters.
While the nominal GDP is assumed to grow by 13.4 per cent in 2014-15, the CGE
is estimated to grow by 5.9 per cent.
Table 1:
Comparative Statistics of Defence Budget: 2013-14 & 2014-15 (Interim)
2013-14
2014-15 (I)
Defence Budget (Rs
in Crore) 203672.12 224000.00
Growth of Defence
Budget (%) 5.31 9.98
Revenue
Expenditure (Rs in Crore) 116931.41 134412.05
Growth of Revenue
Expenditure (%) 2.73 14.95
Share of Revenue
Expenditure in Defence Budget (%) 57.41
60.01
Capital
Expenditure (Rs in Crore) 86740.71 89587.95
Growth of Capital
Expenditure (%) 9.00 3.28
Share of Capital
Expenditure in Defence Budget (%) 42.59
39.99
Capital
Acquisition (Rs in Crore) 73444.59 75779.66*
Growth of Capital
Acquisition (%) 11.23 3.18*
Share of Defence
Budget in GDP (%) 1.80 1.74
Share of Defence
Budget in Central Government Expenditure (%) 12.23
12.70
Note: *:
approximate figure. Rs 1.0 crore = Rs 10 million = US$ 165,852 (as per the
average exchange rate for the first 10 months of 2013-14)
Interim Defence
Budget: Share of Defence Services
Among the defence
services, the Army with an approximate budget of Rs. 1,18,231 crore accounts
for 53 per cent of the total interim defence budget, followed by the Air Force
(Rs 54,262 crore; 24 per cent), Navy (Rs 37,627 crore; 17 per cent), the
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) (Rs 11,960 crore, five per
cent) and the Ordnance Factories (Rs 1,873 crore; one per cent) Among the three
armed forces, Army has the highest (19 per cent) increase in the budget. While
the Navy’s budget has been increase by a modest 3.5 per cent, the Air Force’s
budget has been contracted by a 5.6 per cent. The DRDO on the other hand has
got a 13 per cent hike in its budget.
Impact on
Modernisation
The 10 per cent
hike in the overall defence allocation notwithstanding, there has only been a
marginal increase in the capital acquisition budget of the armed forces (Table
II-V). Of the three armed forces, the Army is only service which has got an
impressive hike in its modernisation budget. Much of its growth is however
concentrated on ‘Other Equipment’ which caters to missiles and artillery guns
among other. This may provide a cushion to the Army to finally sign to pursue
its long-delayed procurement deals of ultra-light howitzer, Javelin anti-tank
guided missile and night vision equipment.
Compared to the
Army, both the Navy and the Air Force have witnessed a decline in the capital
acquisition budget, with the latter bearing a heavy brunt. The sharp decline of
the air forces modernisation budget, especially from the ‘Aircraft and Aero
Engines’ head is surprising, given that it is on the verge of signing several
multi-billion dollar deals including for medium multi-role combat aircraft
(MMRCA) programme for which French Rafale has been declared winner way back in
January 2012. Given that its budget has been reduced sharply, it is very
unlikely that the Air Force could sign this much talked about fighter deal in
2014-15. Some of Air Force’s other programmes which are likely to be affected
include the multi-role tanker aircraft and heavy and attack helicopters.
Table 2: Capital
Acquisition
Armed Force BE 2013-14 (Rs in Cr) RE 2013-14 (Rs in Cr) Under/over
Spending (Rs in Cr) Under/over
Spending (%) Interim 2014-15 (Rs in
Cr) % Growth of Interim 2014-15 over
BE 2013-14
Army 13327.04 10801.22
2525.82 18.95 20900.20 56.83
Navy 23478.78 19864.31
3614.47 15.39 23020.86 -1.95
Air Force 37048.06 36016.54 1031.52
2.78 31817.89 -14.12
Total 73853.88 66682.07
7171.81 9.71 75738.95 2.55
Notes: The Capital
acquisition figure is approximate and exclusive of funds for ‘Make’ projects in
columns 4 and 5, plus figures denote under-utilization and minus figures
over-utilization
Table 3: Army
Capital Acquisition
2013-14
(BE) (Rs in Cr) 2013-14 (RE) (Rs
in Cr) 2014-15 (I) (Rs in Cr) % Growth of 2014-15 (I) over 2013-14
(BE)
Aircraft &
Aero-Engine 1527.79 1182.32 2127.99 39.29
H&MV 2024.37 1480.94 2128.16
5.13
Other Equipment 9758.86 7889.47
16155.93 65.55
Rolling Stock 0 81.5
275.07
Rashtriya Rifles 16.02 166.99
213.05 1229.90
Total Acquisition
Expenditure Acq Exp 13327.04 10801.22 20900.2 56.83
Table 4: Navy
Capital Acquisition
2013-14
(BE) (Rs in Cr) 2013-14 (RE) (Rs
in Cr) 2014-15 (I) (Rs in Cr) % Growth of 2014-15 (I) over 2013-14
(BE)
Aircraft &
Aero-Engine 6708.71 7418.40 3330.69 -50.35
H&MV 53.74 3.90 34.27 -36.23
Other Equipment 2192.82 2514.87
4358.10 98.74
Joint Staff 740.08 619.27
828.87 12.00
Naval Fleet 11772.26 8757.87
12856.06 9.21
Naval Dockyard 2011.17 550.00 1612.87
-19.80
Total Acquisition
Expenditure 23478.78 19864.31 23020.86 -1.95
Table 5: Air Force
Acquisition
2013-14
(BE) (Rs in Cr) 2013-14 (RE) (Rs
in Cr) 2014-15 (I) (Rs in Cr) % Growth of 2014-15 (I) over 2013-14
(BE)
Aircraft &
Aero-Engine 25539.59 28588.85 16271.43 -36.29
H&MV 2.82 36.14 194.29 6789.72
Other Equipment 11505.65 7391.55
15352.17 33.43
Total Acquisition
Expenditure 37048.06 36016.54 31817.89 -14.12
Funds for ‘Make’
Projects
The interim
defence budget has made a provision of Rs 35.7 crore for prototype development
under the ‘Make’ procedure. The interim budget also shows an upward revision of
2013-14 allocation for ‘Make’ projects from Rs one crore to Rs 29.34 core. The
higher allocation for Make projects notwithstanding, it is not clear as to what
projects the funds are allocated for. The much talked about ‘Make’ projects -
Tactical Communication System (TCS) and Future Infantry Combat System (FICV) -
which were under the discussion for long time are now virtually in limbo, due to
the indecisive on the part of the defence ministry and the complexity of the
procedures. More importantly, the MoD is currently engaged in simplifying its
‘Make’ procedure, the implementation of which is unlikely to happen in 2014-15.
Given this, the allocation under the ‘Make’ head seems to be unrealistic.
Conclusion
The 10 per cent
growth in the interim defence budget although looks impressive from outside, it
has a poor outlook on the modernisation front. Much of the hike in the interim
budget is consumed by the increase in salary, leaving very little to meet the
modernisation requirements, particularly of the Indian Air Force which has
lined up several deals for contract signing. From a long term perspective what
is of more relevance is that given the continuous steep rise in the pay and
allowances of the 1.4 million strong Indian armed forces, the pressure on
modernisation would be felt more acutely in the coming years. This is more so,
given the given the prevailing poor economic outlook, increasing subsidy bill,
growing demand from social sector on union budget, and limited fiscal space
available with the government.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/Headquarters-Bengal-Area-steps-into-its-120th-year-of-existence/articleshow/31228554.cms
Headquarters
Bengal Area steps into its 120th year of existence
KOLKATA: The Headquarters Bengal Area (HQ BA),
one of the oldest static formations of the Indian Army in this region, which is
entrusted with the defence of the narrow but extremely sensitive Siliguri
corridor that connects the northeast with the rest of the country, stepped into
its 120th year of existence on Saturday. Over the years, with more attention
being paid to China's military build-up across the Line of Actual Control
(LAC), the role of the HQ BA has gone up manifold.
On Saturday, Lt
Gen Raman Dhawan, General Officer Commanding, Bengal Area addressed all ranks
in a special Sainik Sammelan and conveyed his greetings to them and their
families.
Besides its
operational war time role, HQ BA also supports the logistics requirements of
fighting formations and units of Eastern Command in war and peace. As the
'Local Military Authority', it is also the link between the state government
and the Army besides being the custodian of the Kolkata Maidan and all Army
land in and around the city.
"The
formation also provides assistance to civil authorities during calamities,
natural or otherwise. In the past, the state government also called in the Army
to quell violence in the city. In October, 2013, when a breach in an embankment
of the Kansai River in East Midnapore displaced several thousand villagers,
Army columns under HQ BA repaired the damage and provided assistance," an
officer said.
With eyes on
China, new units are being raised and stationed at locations like Panagarh,
Murshidabad and parts of north Bengal. Apart from a Strike Corps and
independent brigades headquartered at Panagarh, a Composite Air Base has been
planned in north Bengal from where Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) will monitor
movement along the borders. As and when these developments take place, the HQ
BA will play a greater role.
The HQ BA was
raised as Bengal Command at Fort William on March 1, 1895, by Lt Gen Sir W K
Ells. It moved to its present location at 246, AJC Bose Road in September,
1995. The Bengal Area participated with distinction in World War II and the
1962 and 1971 operations.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/HC-stays-Armys-curbs-on-roads/articleshow/31189088.cms
HC stays Army's
curbs on roads
HYDERABAD: In a
huge relief to thousands of road-users in the Secunderabad Cantonment, Justice
P Naveen Rao of the high court on Friday directed the Union cabinet secretary
and the commanding officer of the defence wing not to impose any restrictions
on movement of traffic and commuters on five major roads passing through the
Cantonment area till March 6.
The judge made the
interim order while hearing two writ petitions that challenged the decision of
the Army authorities in blocking the roads from February 25. The roads that
were blocked by Army are the ones from S P Road/East Marredpally towards
Allahabad Gate (Entrancement Road), from Secunderabad Club, Picket/West
Marredpally towards Wellington Enclave (Wellington Road), from Safilguda
junction towards Safilguda railway crossing (Ordnance road) and Trimulgherry
Hanuman temple to Gough Road (Mornington Road ) and Kendriya Vidyalaya crossing
to East/West Marredpally (Gough Road).
B Krishna Vijay
Rao and G Surya Narayana Reddy, residents of Secunderabad, filed separate writ
petitions aggrieved by the action of the Army authorities who closed the roads
to the general public from 10 pm to 8 am from February 25 to March 9 and
completely (day and night) from March 10.
The petitioners
contended that there was no provision under the Cantonment Act to close the
roads permanently, except to close temporarily for the purpose of carrying out
works relating to drainage, water supply or lightening or any other work as per
Section 258 of the Act. They urged the court to declare the action of the
authorities illegal.
While making the
interim order, the judge issued notices to the respondents to file their
counter affidavits and posted the case to March 6 for further hearing.
http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-thousands-protest-against-ak-antony-in-amritsar-over-spate-of-submarine-accidents-1965835
Thousands protest
against AK Antony in Amritsar over spate of submarine accidents
Thousands took to
streets in Amritsar on Friday protesting against Defence Minister A.K Antony
over the spate of Submarine accidents hitting the country's naval forces-a
threat looming large over 'India's military breakdown'.
In recent years, military has been
on the verge of breakdown, each military chief has informed Antony of the
growing danger that the country might prove unable to fight future wars, said
media sources.
The Navy is well
below strength, and its increasingly obsolescent platforms are dangerous. Last
year's explosion on board INS Sindhurakshak was one of the significant
accidents involving the Navy in the last seven months, which had caused more
damage to the fleet than it suffered at war.
Meanwhile, over
2000 protesters comprising of army officers and residents staged a protest
outside Deputy Commisioner's office in Amritsar. The huge protest was lead by a
former Army official Charan Singh Sidhu.
Protesters said
they were irked over the policies and decisions taken by the Defence Minister
regarding the safety of all the three forces-Navy, Army and Air force, which
has led to a spate of disasters recently.
Protesters
stressed that the resignation of the Naval Chief was not called for, as it was
the responsibility of the defence minister to take steps to upgrade the naval
fleet.
"The
government forced naval chief D.K. Joshi to resign. We are holding a protest
against this. We believe that instead of Joshi, Defence Minister A.K. Antony
should have resigned for not making any contributions for the army in the past
35 years and is creating troubles for them instead", said a protester and
a former Indian Army official Charan Singh Sidhu.
Irate protesters
said they demand the resignation of the defence minister, and will stage
demonstration until their demands were met.
"We will
march to the Amar Jawan Jyoti, and will stage a demonstration until the seventh
pay commission comes into force and A.K. Antony resigns for the post",
said a protester and former Army official Charan Singh Sidhu.
The two officers
went missing on duty on board when smoke filled parts of a Russian-built
submarine on a training exercise off the Mumbai coast in the early hours of
Wednesday.
Following this,
navy chief, Admiral DK Joshi, has resigned after a submarine accident took
place off the coast of Mumbai on Wednesday. The incident left seven sailors
injured, while two went missing, which the Antony accepted.
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