Empowering defence sector in Modi Age

Let's salute our unsung heroes and all security forces on the 75th Independence Day

Amar Krishna Paul

(The writer can be contacted amarkrishnaghy@gmail.com)

We are now passing through a transition period of rapid development in the socio-economic and political arena. Though the corona crisis has cropped up many challenges before us yet we stand strong in the defence sector.

Despite the pandemic situation the Narendra Modi-led Government is inching ahead to fine-tune sectoral development in all fields. The Centre is, indeed, making India 'Atmanirbhar Bharat.' On the occasion of celebrating the 75th Independence Day, the mission to build 'Self-reliant India' is one of the most important positive stories which need to be disseminated far and wide.

The improvement of our defence sector may be better analysed in the backdrop of the latest comprehensive report "PM's Vikash Yatra — Seven Years of Modi Government" —

Enhancing India's Defense Capabilities Through a Calibrated Modernization Approach: In its first term, the Modi government earned for itself the reputation of successfully concluding decade-old economic issues such as GST. Even in the sphere of defence and national security, a highlight of the Modi government in its first term was to take tough decisions like implementing One Rank One Pension, concluding important deals, and fulfilling the long due projects like having a National War Memorial, Police Memorial to name only a few. That legacy has been displayed in the second term too at a very early stage of the government. The demand for creating the post-Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) was also a decade-old recommendation, and the Modi government delivered on it in its first year of the second term.

Chief of Defense Staff - A Milestone Moment: Prime Minister Narendra Modi while delivering his address for the Independence Day of 2019 announced the formation of the Chief of Defence Staff. In just over 4 months after PM Modi made this historic announcement from the ramparts of the Red Fort, General Bipin Rawat took over as India's first Chief of Defence Staff on January 1, 2020.

This was a significant moment because the recommendations for creating such a post for enabling much-needed synergy among the three forces were made long back. Several Committees, for instance, the Kargil Review Committee, Group of Ministers (GoM) Report, Task Force on National Security and Shekatkar Committee had studied the issue of better coordination among the three forces and had recommended the creation of a post of CDS/Permanent Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee.

Relentless Building of Defence Capacity: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh performing 'Shastra puja' of Rafale fighter on October 8, 2019, has been perhaps a definitive moment of the first year of the NaMo 2.0. The opposition, which had delayed every crucial defence procurement when it was in power, threw around false accusations when India under the Modi government went ahead with the fighter jet deal. Nevertheless, truth triumphed, and India's race to update itself for the modern military needs passed an important milestone. In the words of Prime Minister Modi, what was pending for three decades has finally been given the much-wanted kickstart.

The Indian Armed Forces' long-standing requirement of a modern state-of-the-art Light Machine Gun (LMG) finally fructified, as India inked the deal for procuring 16,479 LMGs at a cost of Rs.880 crore. It enhances the combating capacity of the frontline troops fulfilling another long-standing demand.

Opening Up New Avenues of Self-Reliance in Defence, Space, Atomic Energy: The Covid-19 pandemic has thrown challenges to everyone globally. Naturally, India is also affected. But a marked difference can be seen in the way India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is responding to the situation.

Achieving Aatmanirbharta in Defence: Nations that influence the direction of global geostrategic policy are self-reliant in defence capabilities. Self-reliance is the key to emerge as a global power.

Ever since the Modi government came in, it is addressing decades-old demands in the defence sector on two fronts. The Make in India push in the defence sector and clearing the procurements that were overdue such as fighter aircraft, attack helicopters, guns, etc.

Replacing Import Quantity with Indigenous Production: The government will notify a list of weapons/platforms for a ban on import with year-wise timelines. A separate budget provision for domestic capital, every year in the defence budget will facilitate the production of those items domestically. The government will also be taking initiatives to promote indigenization of imported spares like the realistic setting of General Staff Qualitative Requirements (GSQRs) of weapons/platforms.

Meanwhile, India's arms imports have slashed by 33 per cent between 2011-15 and 2016-20, a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said.

The report stated that because of the decrease in imports, Russia was the most affected supplier, although India's imports of US arms also fell, by 46 per cent.

Ordnance Factory Board to be Corporatized: The corporatization of the Ordnance Factory Board will help improve performance and efficiency in Ordnance Supplies. This will pave the way for increase autonomy and transparency in these units.

Easing FDI Norms: FDI limit in the defence manufacturing under automatic route is being raised from 49% to 74% for promoting investments in India.

Time-bound Process: Time-bound defence procurement process and faster decision making will be ushered in by:

(a) Setting up of a Project Management Unit to support contract management;

(b) Realistic setting of General Staff Qualitative Requirements of weapons/platforms; and

(c) Overhauling trial and testing procedures.

Reforms to Script New Stories in Space: In this day and age, putting India first on the global stage depends on its capability in space technology as well. India's premier institute ISRO has already made India a force to reckon with in this regard.

Reforms in Atomic Energy: Paving the way for private participation in atomic energy has also opened new areas of opportunities in India's growth. The measures in this sector also supplement the reforms announced in other sectors like agriculture.

India's robust start-up ecosystem will be linked to the nuclear sector and for this, Technology Development-cum-Incubation Centres will be set up for fostering synergy between research facilities and tech-entrepreneurs. In shaping the post-Corona world, the Prime Minister has brought together talents beyond the government system in sophisticated sectors like defence, space, and atomic to use them for the greater common good.

Increase in Budget for Army: There has been a substantial increase of 27.69% in budgetary allocation in the five years of 2017-18 to 2021-22 over 2012-13 to 2016-17. Further, the operational efficiency matches the technological advancement commensurately. This information was given by Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Ajay Bhatt in a written reply to Ms Saroj Pandey in Rajya Sabha on August 9, 2021.

Army Day: The Indian Army carried out a live demonstration of Drone Swarming capability using 75 indigenously designed and developed drones which executed an array of Artificial Intelligence (AI) enabled simulated offensive missions and close support tasks during the Army Day Parade held at Delhi Cantt on January 15, 2021.

Indian Army contingent to participate in International Army Games-2021 in Russia: A 101 member contingent of the Indian Army will proceed to Russia to participate in International Army Games - 2021 from August 22 to September 4, 2021.

Winners at Tokyo Olympics: The 23-year-old Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, a Naib Subedar with 4 Rajputana Rifles in the Indian Army, created history by winning a gold medal in men's javelin throw at Tokyo Olympic recently.

President Sri Ram Nath Kovind congratulated Neeraj Chopra and tweeted, "Your feat will inspire our youth. Unprecedented win by Neeraj Chopra! Your javelin gold breaks barriers and creates history. You bring home the first-ever track and field medal to India in your first Olympics. Your feat will inspire our youth. India is elated! Heartiest congratulations."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed Neeraj for outstanding performance and tweeted, "History has been scripted at Tokyo! What Neeraj Chopra has achieved today will be remembered forever. The young Neeraj has done exceptionally well. He played with remarkable passion and showed unparalleled grit. Congratulations to him for winning the Gold."

Political parties and the Indian Army both have an important role to play in restoring peace in Kashmir Valley and other sensitive areas of the country. Political parties are generally blamed for fomenting trouble in the valley and therefore the Central Government should allow the Indian Army to have a greater say in stamping out terrorism. The government may enhance the entertainment programmes like sports activities, nation-building cinema shows, tourism, etc., to brash up the misguided minds among young people.

To sum it up, real heroes don't wear caps. They put the Indian flag on their uniforms. Let's thank these warring Bravehearts. Let's salute our unsung heroes and also all great security forces on the 75th Independence Day."