The five-member group, to be headed by Finance Commission Chairman N K Singh, comprise secretaries from the ministries of defence, home affairs and finance, besides a member of Commission
Why stock markets fell on the Budget and is there reason in reducing spending on creating jobs, explain our Opinion pieces today.
The unusually low 5 per cent increase in allocation in the Budget calls for unorthodox solutions to fund the military
Army planners are increasingly worried about this drain on funds that could otherwise go towards equipment modernisation
The total outlay does not include Rs 1.33 lakh crore set aside separately for payment of pensions
Referring to the Navy's modernisation plan, Admiral Singh said it was a fact that the budget for the force has declined from 18% in 2012-13 to 13% in 2018-19
The past 20 years, under three PMs, have shown us the defence Budget is not about to go higher than its ballpark of 1.5 per cent of GDP, besides pensions
Defence spending is falling in percentage terms even though all military purchases are now subject to GST
Budget allocations barely diverge from a simple formula: Give the army 60 per cent, the air force 24 per cent and the remaining 16 per cent to the navy
With customs duties imposed on defence in 2016 and GST in 2017, capex has fallen even more
Both allocations as well as expenditure flows need attention
The report pointed out that the country's capital expenditure for defence procurement is expected to exceed $250 bn over the next 10 years, primarily to replace the Soviet-era vintage equipment
While the govt needs to be condemned for its lackadaisical treatment of defence, army leadership cannot escape the blame either
India continues to modernise its military capabilities, though China still remains a challenge with the world's second-largest defence budget
China is second on the list spending $215 billion, an increase of 5.4 per cent
Report said the allocation has gone down from 2.36% of the GDP in FY01 to 1.56% in FY18
Defence industry has the potential to become a huge foreign exchange earner, claims Bhamre