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Soldiers may have to buy their uniforms as Army needs limited budget to buy ammunition

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8 years ago

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Soldiers may have to buy their uniforms as Army needs limited budget to buy ammunition

Claims of a booming, fastest growing economy have come up against yet another hard reality: the government does not have enough money to spare for critical needs of defence forces.

According to a report in the Economic Times (ET), the Indian Army has decided to drastically cut down its supplies from state-owned ordnance factories from 94% to 50% and spend the money saved to replenish the depleting stocks of critical ammunition and spares for a short intense war which the public sector unit has failed to provide.

The reason cited was that the Centre has not provided additional funds for these. The cut in orders for procurements from Ordnance factories is likely to hit supplies of clothing (combat dress, berets, belts, shoes) to soldiers who will have to spend their own money to buy these items from civilian markets, said the ET report. Even spares for certain vehicles will suffer, said the report.

The Army is working on three major projects to build this stock and requires funds worth thousands of crores, but since the Centre has not been forthcoming with the money, the Army has been forced to dig into its own minimal budget to cater to these requirements, said the ET report quoting unnamed officials.

Of the three projects, only one has begun and that payment for the emergency procurement for this project has been distributed over the years due to shortage of funds, the report said.

Another official explained that about Rs 5,000 crore has been spent on emergency procurement and another Rs 6,739.83 crore needs to be paid.

This project with the 10(I) order now costs about Rs 21,739.83 crore. The 10 (I) is ammunition and spares needed for 10 days of intense war.

For remaining payment of the two projects, the Army is trying to figure out how to fund them as the Centre has asked it to spend from its own budget.

The official said in March, the Army had made an initial cut in supplies from ordnance factories. “In March, the ordnance factories’ allocation for supplying items such as clothing, spares and certain ammunition was brought down to about Rs 11,000 crore,” ET quoted the official as saying.

Now, said the official, the army has decided to bring down purchases bought from ordnance factories from 94% of their products to 50%, so “from Rs 11,000 crore given to the ordnance factories it was brought down to around Rs 8,000 crore”. The officials added that the deficiency in ammunition and spares is because the ordnance factories have not been able to completely meet the requirements.

He added that the move would save about Rs 3,500 crore every year. “We will add another Rs 4,000 crore, bringing the total amount to Rs 7,000-8,000 crore a year. For three years, we should have close to Rs 24,000 crore, which will be used for the emergency procurement and the order for 10 (I),” said the official.

Providing a bit of background, the ET report said that following the 2016 Uri terrorist attack, the Army found that 46 types of critical ammunition, including for the artillery, tanks such as Armour Piercing Fin-Stabilised Discarding Sabot, anti-material, and 10 types of spares for vehicles and equipment were below 10 (I).

Recently ordnance factories had protested against the move. A few days ago, a top Army officer had met a senior defence ministry official and convinced him of the reason behind the move. The move, however, could create a problem for the government, as ordnance factories and several MSMEs could go into litigation as they have several past orders from the Army.

The Centre has also identified eight types of ammunition for manufacture by Indian private firms for Rs 1,700 crore per year for the next 10 years. This ammunition includes 30mm used by the infantry, 120mm extended range, 23mm and 40mm grenades.

The Army is also procuring Pinaka rockets over 10 years, which is worth Rs 1000 crore a year. “With these steps we should have 90% per of ammunition for 10 (I) by June 2019. Even at this juncture we are relatively fine, because all types of ammunition will not be used during war. But the government has to provide budgetary support. So far it has not and the Army has been forced to use its own budget at the cost of modernisation and maintenance,” said an official.

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E20 Janta Party set to follow in CJP footsteps

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31 mins ago

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July 27, 2026

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Excise duty on petrol

After the success of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a new outfit, calling itself the E20 Janta Party, has come into being.

It trended across social media platforms on Thursday after the CJP claimed victory following the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, with supporters applauding the outcome as a major milestone in the ongoing student-led movement over alleged NEET-UG examination irregularities.

Thousands of posts, memes and videos flooded social media with users celebrating what they described as the growing influence of the CJP-led agitation. The term “E20 Janta Party” quickly gained traction on X and other platforms as motorists worried over the mixing of ethanol in petrol claimed they would themselves stage protests a la CJP.

Motorists all over India have been protesting against the fuel mixture given that their cars and motorcycles bought earlier had not been tuned for such increase in ethanol ratio. Some have claimed damage, ranging from engine damage to lower mileage. The government has not conceded the engine damage claim but has accepted that mileage may be compromised. Further, they have been agitating for a lowered fuel price for E20 since it has 20% ethanol but the government has shown willingness only to lower prices for the E85 blend which is being introduced slowly.

The public outpouring of support for the anti-NEET protests seems to have egged the anti-E20 people to come out of the woodwork though they have been vocal on social media. The Delhi taxi drivers association is also believed to have lent support to this cause. Transporters are also expected to join the protest slated on August 4 year since there are moves afoot to introduce isobutanol-diesel blend this year.

During the protests at Jantar Mantar, many activists had raised the ethanol issue time and again targeting Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, an overzealous advocate for ethanol blending.

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Parliament Monsoon Session 2026: Bill against paper leaks to be introduced in Lok Sabha today

The Lok Sabha will introduce and consider the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, proposing stricter punishment, fast-track courts and stronger safeguards against paper leaks.

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3 hours ago

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July 27, 2026

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The Lok Sabha is set to take up the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 for consideration and passage on Monday as the Centre moves to tighten laws against paper leaks and examination-related fraud.

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh will seek the House’s permission to introduce the Bill before moving it for consideration and passing during the day’s legislative business.

The proceedings of the Lok Sabha are scheduled to begin at 11 am with the Question Hour, during which ministers will respond to listed oral questions.

Bill proposes stricter action against paper leaks

The proposed amendment aims to strengthen transparency and integrity in the public examination system through stricter legal provisions while safeguarding the interests of students.

Among its major provisions are:

  • Imprisonment of up to 10 years for those found guilty.
  • A fine of up to Rs.10 crore.
  • Confiscation of assets of convicted offenders.
  • A mechanism to ensure verdicts in such cases are delivered within three months through fast-track courts.

The proposed changes follow the Union Cabinet’s approval of the legislation and related measures aimed at tackling paper leaks and examination fraud with stricter punishment and expedited trials.

Supreme Court judges amendment Bill also on agenda

Apart from the anti-paper leak legislation, the Lok Sabha is also scheduled to consider the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026.

Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal will move the Bill for consideration. It seeks to further amend the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956.

Ministers to present implementation reports

Several Union ministers are also expected to place statements before the House on the implementation of recommendations made by various Parliamentary Standing Committees.

Among them:

  • Gajendra Singh Shekhawat will present an update on recommendations related to the Ministry of Tourism.
  • Jayant Chaudhary will report on recommendations concerning the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.
  • Pankaj Chaudhary will table a statement on recommendations relating to the Ministry of Finance.
  • Suresh Gopi will present implementation updates on recommendations made by the Standing Committee on Petroleum and Natural Gas.

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Who are the experts in Nandan Nilekani-led PM Modi’s exam reform task force?

PM Modi has constituted a six-member task force led by Nandan Nilekani to recommend reforms for the National Testing Agency. Here’s a look at the experts on the panel.

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3 hours ago

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July 27, 2026

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Following the announcement of a high-powered task force to reform India’s examination system, the Centre has brought together experts from technology, space research, intelligence, education, cybersecurity and logistics to recommend structural changes for the National Testing Agency (NTA).

The panel, led by Infosys co-founder and technology expert Nandan Nilekani, was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi a day after Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned amid nationwide protests over the alleged NEET paper leak.

In a video message shared on social media, the Prime Minister said the government aims to make examinations more reliable, transparent and technology-driven. He said the task force would submit recommendations to improve the credibility of upcoming examinations at the earliest.

Nandan Nilekani to lead the panel

Nandan Nilekani, co-founder and non-executive chairman of Infosys, will head the task force. Widely recognised for leading the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) and playing a key role in the development of Aadhaar, Nilekani is expected to contribute his expertise in technology, digital infrastructure and data security to the examination reform process.

Former ISRO chief S Somanath

Former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman S Somanath, an aerospace engineer, is also part of the panel. During his tenure, ISRO successfully carried out the Chandrayaan-3 mission. His experience in executing complex, high-precision missions is expected to help strengthen quality control and multi-layered verification processes in examinations.

Former IB director Tapan Deka

Former Intelligence Bureau Director Tapan Kumar Deka has been included for his experience in intelligence and security. A former IPS officer with a postgraduate degree in Physics, he is expected to provide inputs on strengthening intelligence gathering and cyber monitoring to curb organised examination fraud and paper leak networks.

IIT Madras Director V Kamakoti

V Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras, is another member of the panel. A computer science academic, he has led initiatives related to microprocessor development and information security at the institute. His expertise is expected to support measures aimed at enhancing cybersecurity and protecting examination software and digital infrastructure.

Former Education Secretary Anita Karwal

Former Education Secretary Anita Karwal brings administrative and academic policy experience to the task force. A retired IAS officer from the Gujarat cadre, she is expected to contribute recommendations on examination policies, answer-key mechanisms, evaluation standards and improvements in the functioning of examination centres.

Logistics expert Amrit Lal Meena

Retired bureaucrat Amrit Lal Meena, who previously served as Bihar’s Chief Secretary and as Special Secretary (Logistics) in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, completes the six-member panel. His expertise in supply chain management is expected to help strengthen the secure printing, storage and transportation of question papers through tamper-resistant logistics systems.

The multidisciplinary panel has been tasked with recommending structural reforms aimed at improving transparency, security and reliability in India’s examination system.

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