The term <a href="http://www.tejas.gov.in/specifications.html">Tejas</a> means ‘radiance’. Developed as a joint venture between Aeronautical Development Agency and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, <keyword id="6376012" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tejas">Tejas</keyword> is a lightweight aircraft technically described as multi-role, singing-engine tactical fighter. Specially manufactured for induction into the Indian Navy and <keyword id="15141" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Air-Force">Indian Air force</keyword>, Tejas comes with two variations. Tejas is an indigenously manufactured Light Combat Aircraft (LCA). Notably this is among the world’s smallest and lightest multi-role fighter aircraft belonging to the Supersonic class. The highlights of this tailless Aircraft include single-engine and a compound delta wing. In the mission of its development, we see ADA and HAL partner also making use of the expertise of DRDO, CSIR, BEL, DGAQA, IAF and IN. Upon its deployment, Tejas will meet the diverse requirements of the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Indian Navy (IN). Specifications and performance of Tejas aircraft Tejas is known for its high degree of agility and maneuverability. These characteristics are achieved by virtue of its tailless compound wing delta configuration that is said to be aerodynamically unstable. Tejas is designed to satisfy the demands of the modernized air force. This multi-role aircraft is capable of challenging air defense roles and all-round air superiority. In the aerodynamic designing of this aircraft, a deep study and experimentation with the principles of computational fluid dynamics and wind tunnel studies have gone into. The most amazing aero-dynamic features of Tejas makes it stand for an excellent performance across a broader fighter envelope. The highly optimized wing of the aircraft shows up the right variation of thickness, twist and camber though its span. The designers have ably adjusted the cross-sectional area distribution for achieving remarkable high speed characteristics. The leading edge slats are particularly suitable for promising aerodynamic performance. In order to prevent buzz and to bring down distortion throughout the flight envelope, the makers have incorporated wing-shielded and bifurcated air intake duct fitted with diverts. These aspects harmoniously match with the engine design. Dimensions of Tejas aircraft Length: 13.20 meters; Height: 4.40 meters; and Wing Span: 8.20 meters Weights of Tejas aircraft Empty: 9800 Kilograms; Take Off clean: 6500 kilograms; and External Stores: 3500 kilograms Tejas aircraft Performance Altitude: 50,000 feet; Max Speed at all altitudes: Supersonic; and ‘g’ limits: +8/-3.5 Power plant F404-GE-IN20 Size: Diameter 890 mm, Length 3.9 m Weight: Max Weight 1,035 kg (2,282 lb) Engines capability: Thrust 9,163 kg (20,200 lb) Tejas aircraft Weapons capacity The efficiency and worth of any modern fighter aircraft depends on the weapons it is capable of delivering on the target. Tejas can carry a veritable plethora of air to surface, air to air, standoff and precision guided weaponry. In the air-to-air arena, Tejas can carry long range and beyond visual range weapons. It can also tackle any kind of close combat threat by handling highly agile and high off-boresight missiles. A broad range of air to ground munitions and a highly accurate navigation and attack system makes it possible for the aircraft to prosecute the surface targets both over the land or at the sea with the mission accomplished with high degree of accuracy. These features bestow the multi-swing role capabilities to this highly touted fighter jet aircraft Tejas.

All you need to know about India’s light combat aircraft Tejas

<ul><li>As India and Pakistan ramp up air strikes against each other in the vicinity of the Line of Control (Loc) along the <keyword id="6354495" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="kashmir">Kashmir</keyword> border, it seems that the movement of India’s aircraft is common knowledge.</li><li>Due to open-source <keyword id="112249" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tracking">tracking</keyword> sites like <keyword id="1614766" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Flight-radar">Flight Radar</keyword> 24, anyone with an internet connection can identify and upload the positions of <keyword id="15141" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Air-Force">Indian Air Force</keyword> jets. </li><li>While this poses a huge risk to India’s fighter pilots and military plans, <keyword id="6354616" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Twitter">Twitter</keyword> users are defending their actions by saying that the positions of IAF jets are not secret. </li></ul>As India and Pakistan ramp up air strikes against each other in the vicinity of the Line of Control (Loc) along the Kashmir border, it seems that the movement of India’s aircraft is common knowledge. Due to open-source tracking sites like <a href="https://www.flightradar24.com/">Flight Radar 24</a>, A Swedish site which maps real-time flight movements, anyone with an internet connection can track and identify the positions of Indian Air Force jets. Moreover, people are even tweeting live positions of flights on social media. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">Indian Air Force Antonov AR32-RE k2682 airborne from Chandigarh <a href="https://t.co/KvNGMvLEDX">pic.twitter.com/KvNGMvLEDX</a>&mdash; Manu Gómez (@GDarkconrad) <a href="https://twitter.com/GDarkconrad/status/1100857598922887174?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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 As I write this, Flight Radar 24 is showing the location of an Indian military plane, VUBCI. 
	
	
 
 
 
 
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 What you see above is the movement of an <keyword id="3090622" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Antonov-AN-32">Antonov AN-32</keyword> aircraft which is used for air-dropping cargo, carrying passengers, medevac, firefighting, skydiving or paratrooping roles. This is a risk to India’s fighter pilots as it exposes their movement. However, the users are defending their actions by saying that the positions of IAF jets are not secret. According to the one of the people tweeting out positions, Manu Gomez, Indian Air Force officials have overlooked an important security measure. Gomez told <a href="https://thelede.co.in/can-iaf-prevent-abhinandans/">the Lede</a>, “Military planes can use an encrypted mode and we will not be able to see it, they just have to change the mode of the transponder”. The fix seems obvious but may not have been carried out yet. At the moment, there is the only plane flying in Pakistan's air space at the moment, according to Flight Radar, however its identity seems to be encrypted. 
 
 
 
 
 
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 This isn’t the first time that open-source flight tracking websites have made sensitive flight data public. In December 2018, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-27/donald-trump-secret-iraq-flight-spotted-by-plane-enthusiasts/10669760">a secret flight</a> by US President Donald Trump to Iraq was flagged by @CivMilAir, a Twitter handle. Wikileaks soon got a hold of the news. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">Is Trump on a surprise visit to Afghanistan? Turkey? Flight trackers show that one of two planes used for Air Force One (92-9000/VC-25) using what appears to be a fake HEXCODE of AE47C4, departed Andrews Air Force base at midnight. Transponders changed or disabled near Romania. <a href="https://t.co/JtVzEPUoLv">pic.twitter.com/JtVzEPUoLv</a>&mdash; WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) <a href="https://twitter.com/wikileaks/status/1078002422243573761?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 26, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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 SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/markets-sell-off-in-mumbai-and-karachi-as-india-and-pakistan-tensions-escalate/articleshow/68184744.cms">Markets turn nervous watching India and Pakistan ramp up military action</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/international-pressure-mounts-on-india-and-pakistan-to-avert-a-full-blown-war/articleshow/68195234.cms">International pressure mounts on India and Pakistan to avert a full-blown war</a>

A free Swedish flight tracking site is revealing crucial military movements along the Kashmir border

(Photo Source: twitter/@IAF_MCC) <ul><li>The <keyword id="15141" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Air-Force">Indian Air Force</keyword> reportedly has the highest share of women officers in India at 13.09% among all the three major forces in the country. </li><li>While women representation in the <keyword id="6355100" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Navy">Indian Navy</keyword> stood at 6%, the Indian Army records the lowest women representation at just 4% </li><li>The trend has been similar over the past few years, and as of 2017, there were 13% women officers in Indian Air Force, 5% in the Indian Navy and nearly 3.65% in the army. </li></ul>It appears that the Indian Air Force has soared ahead of the country’s other defence forces -- at least when it comes to employing more women officers. The Air Force has the highest share of women officers in India at 13.09%; the Indian Navy, in comparison, accounts for 6% women officers; and the Indian Army has only 3.8% representation of women, reported <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/air-force-has-13-per-cent-of-women-officers-the-highest-among-3-forces/articleshow/67059009.cms">Press Trust of India </a>citing Subhash Bhamre, the Indian minister of state for defence. It also appears the trend has improved only slightly compared to previous years: there were 13% women officers in the Indian Air Force as of July 2017, while the share of female officers in the Indian Navy was 4.49% as of June 2017. The Indian Army had the lowest number of women officers at only 3.64% women as of January 2017, according to data<a href="http://pib.nic.in/newsite/mbErel.aspx?relid=169200"> released</a> by India’s Ministry of Defence Interestingly, commercial airlines in India also have the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/in-india-women-rule-the-skies-with-the-highest-share-of-female-pilots-in-the-world/articleshow/66590435.cms">highest percentage</a> of female commercial pilots compared to other countries, according to data by the International Society of Women Airline Pilots. Currently, Indian airlines have 1,092 female pilots as against 8,797 male pilots, reported the <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/women-pilots-percentage-in-india-is-twice-that-of-global-average-data/articleshow/66539021.cms">Times of India.</a> In India, women representing the army, navy and the air force are appointed only for the officer’s rank. The country’s defence ministry is reportedly planning to induct more women as sailors in the Indian Navy, to boost women participation in the non-office cadres, reported India Today. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/in-india-women-rule-the-skies-with-the-highest-share-of-female-pilots-in-the-world/articleshow/66590435.cms">In India, women rule the skies with the highest share of female pilots in the world</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/gender-diversity-may-be-a-mere-buzzword-for-corporate-india-a-recent-survey-shows-some-worrying-numbers/articleshow/67041718.cms">'Gender diversity' may be a mere buzzword for corporate India — A recent survey shows some worrying numbers</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india-plans-to-build-11-emergency-airstrips-on-its-national-highways/articleshow/66703838.cms">India plans to build 11 emergency airstrips on its national highways</a>

The Indian Air Force has the highest share of women officers than its navy and army

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/49817398.cms" style="width: 800px; height: 600px;" />It's raining cats and dogs in Chennai. Three days on, schools remain shut, train and air services halted, telephone connectivity majorly hit as one of the worst rain havocs has left Chennai submerged bringing it to a complete standstill. IAF, Air Force, NDRF, Coast Guard are all on the ground here braving the most horrifying torrential <keyword id="13672" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rains">rains</keyword> the city has seen in the last 10 years, to steer people out of danger, yet thousands of residents lay trapped in their homes without essentials like food and water to survive. 
 
Chennai Corporation which had claimed to be ready to face such a situation after MeT’s pre warning in Sept, tried to clear water in over 300 localities all across the city, but it hardly helped. Following an increase in water levels, the civic body rescued 1,900 people on Sunday, housing them in shelters in safer locations. Food packets for residents were supplied through 81 Amma Canteens, seven community kitchens and five community halls, however, all of them have been hit hard by floods forcing them to stop the supply. 
 
With life coming to a grinding halt, the death toll rising, people carrying their essentials and walking in neck-deep water all on their own in remote areas to reach safer locations, and the agencies finding it difficult to contain the damage from floods, this is the worst Chennai has seen in a long time. It recorded 246.5 mm rainfall in the last 24 hours which breaks the record of November 2005 of 142.4 mm. 
 The heavy downpour is giving the disaster relief teams a very tough time in carrying out <keyword id="6388465" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rescue-operations">rescue operations</keyword>. Only “22 people, including 12 infants, were airlifted by the IAF from affected areas yesterday because due to constant rains, only six sorties were carried out," an IAF statement said. This is not to say that ample efforts are not being made. Air Force choppers are being used to air-drop food and drinking water in worst-hit areas. The army is using boats to rescue stranded people in many flooded areas. Even <keyword id="6354720" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ola">Ola</keyword> is using boats to ferry people from submerged areas to safe locations. National Disaster Response Force teams are extending help to state officials in evacuations. People are also being evacuated from Kotturpuram in central Chennai as release of water from the Sembarambakkam reservoir is expected to cause more flooding in the area. But despite a pre alarm and on ground operations, 71 people have already died and several remain trapped. 
 
Notably, unlike the north-east monsoons in the previous years, what makes this year’s rains different is that it was neither a depression nor a cyclone, but a low pressure that played havoc with people’s lives. This low pressure system formed near Sri Lanka right over the Bay of Bengal crossed near the Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coast resulting in heavy rain and consequent flood in many parts of the state. Cuddalore and Tambaram districts are the worst hit, where many streets are completely submerged and nearly 2000 residents are trapped in their homes. 
 
Meanwhile, even as the heavy downpour has eased a bit and is now showing signs of receding, the horror is not over yet. The MeT has warned of heavy to very rainfall in Tiruvallur districts even as moderate rains are expected to continue for another three days in other areas. It means the death toll is likely to rise further as the killer rains now head towards Andhra Pradesh. 
 
(Image credit: Indiatimes)

As IAF choppers airlift stranded people, here’s why Chennai will never forget its worst rain havoc in the last 10 years

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The IDF has claimed Hezbollah hit its "Sky Dew" radar balloon, a report says.</li><li>The balloon is part of Israel's missile detection system.</li></ul>The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed that a Hezbollah drone struck a large missile-detecting airship known as "Sky Dew," Israeli outlet <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ynetnews.com/article/b1gsyenxc">Ynetnews reported</a>.The radar-detecting balloon was deployed around 21 miles from the Israel-Lebanon border in an area called Golani Junction, the report said."There were no casualties and no impact to the IDF's aerial situational awareness capability in the area," IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said, per Ynet News.The sytem was designed to add to Israel's air defenses by detecting incoming missiles and drones, officials have said, per <a target="_blank" href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/giant-missile-detecting-balloon-begins-operational-use-over-northern-israel/amp/">The Times of Israel</a>.The Israeli Air Force received the airship in 2022.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Yesterday, the IAF officially received the "Tal Shamaim" platform developed in cooperation with the <a href="https://twitter.com/Israel_MOD?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Israel_MOD</a> and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA). <a href="https://t.co/MyjDFjLlU8">pic.twitter.com/MyjDFjLlU8</a>— Israeli Air Force (@IAFsite) <a href="https://twitter.com/IAFsite/status/1506587262364135426?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2022</a></blockquote>It comes amid increasing tensions with the Hezbollah militant group, which has carried out a number of strikes on Israel following the latter's invasion of the Gaza Strip.Its attacks have ramped up in recent weeks after the IDF's operations in the southern Gazan city of Rafah.Earlier this week, the group <a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-israel-hezbollah-hamas-gaza-drone-missiles-cd9f59ffa7f876aa755b3c6612246763">struck a military post in northern Israel</a> with two missiles fired from a drone, leaving three soldiers wounded.Following news of the alleged attack on the Sky Dew airship, Hagari said: "On the northern border, we attacked a complex of weapons manufacturing and storage sites belonging to Hezbollah's missile precision project overnight in response to the strike on the military site near Golani Junction, which hit the balloon on the ground during its operational acceptance process," per Ynetnews.The Lebanese political analyst Faisal Abdul-Sater, who closely follows Hezbollah, previously told the Associated Press that Hezbollah was "sending messages on the ground to the Israeli enemy."He said they were showing Israel: "This is part of what we have, and if needed we can strike more."Business Insider contacted the IDF for comment.

IDF claims Hezbollah drone struck Israel's giant missile-detecting airship, report says

New Delhi [India], February 19 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday welcomed the new batch of 12 cheetahs in <keyword id="10561435" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="kuno-national-park" source="Orion">Kuno National Park</keyword>. Earlier on Saturday, Indian Air Force's Mi-17 helicopters carrying the second batch of 12 Cheetah landed at their destination. Quoting a tweet by Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav, the Prime Minister tweeted, "India's wildlife diversity receives a boost with this development." The big cats made their journey in Indian Air Force's (IAF) C-17 Globemaster cargo plane. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan released the 12 cheetahs in Kuno National Park on Saturday and said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision to conserve the environment is showing a path to the world. CM said, "Madhya Pradesh has got a gift on Mahashivratri. I thank PM Modi from the bottom of my heart, it is his vision. Twelve Cheetahs will be rehabilitated to Kuno and the total number will become 20. The Cheetahs that had come earlier have now adapted to the situation very well." The aircraft after a 10-hour long flight from Johannesburg, South Africa, landed at Air Force Station Gwalior today. Last year in September, eight cheetahs from Namibia were flown into India. The cheetahs are being brought to India as part of the Cheetah Reintroduction project on the basis of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the South African and the Indian governments. The MoU facilitates cooperation between the two countries to establish a viable and secure cheetah population in India; promotes conservation and ensures that expertise is shared and exchanged, and capacity is built, to promote cheetah conservation. This includes human-wildlife conflict resolution, capture and translocation of wildlife and community participation in conservation in the two countries.

PM Modi welcomes new batch of 12 cheetahs in Kuno National Park

An <keyword id="2761565" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Army-helicopter" source="Orion">Army helicopter</keyword> carrying about 3-4 senior officials including 'top' officers crashed near Coonoor in the nearby hilly <keyword id="6361669" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nilgiris" source="Orion">Nilgiris</keyword> district on Wednesday, police sources said. The chopper was on its way from the Sulur IAF base to the <keyword id="5546067" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Defence-Services-College" source="Orion">Defence Services College</keyword> (DSC) at Wellington when it crashed, they said. The mishap happened at <keyword id="12693971" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nanjappanchathiram-area" source="Orion">Nanjappanchathiram area</keyword> amid heavy mist and early visuals showed the helicopter in flames. There was no immediate information on possible casualty or injuries. Official sources said all the injured people on board the Mi-17V5 helicopter have been evacuated from the spot of the accident. The Chief of Defence Staff was on his way to the Defence Staff College in Wellington. There is no immediate information on the condition of Gen Rawat. The IAF said a Court of Inquiry has been ordered into the accident. One of the big questions that is facing the armed forces as well as the nation is -- how a helicopter carrying a very very important person - India's Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat -- crashed resulting in the death of several persons. "Comprehensive checks of the helicopter would have been done. There would have been a standby helicopter as well. The weather condition would have been checked. In this case, if the weather at Wellington was marginal, they may have decided to make an attempt and then call it off," said a former official of the Indian Air Force (IAF). The official said, technical snag or weather could have been the factor due to which crash happened. According to him, if all things were normal, the one possibility is that, as the chopper was close to Coonoor, it would have been flying low and or may be flew into the hill, to duck beneath the clouds. The chopper will have a black box and a study of that could throw more light on the cause of the accident. At least four senior military officials were feared dead in an Indian Air Force helicopter crash in Tamil Nadu's Coonoor on Wednesday afternoon. Locals who saw the chopper crash helped in rescue operations. An eyewitness said, it was misty, may be due to which the chopper hit a tree and went down. He said he reached the spot and saw the chopper was upside down and immediately caught fire. Confirming about General Rawat's presence, Indian Air Force tweeted, "An IAF Mi-17V5 helicopter, with CDS Gen Bipin Rawat on board, met with an accident today near Coonoor, Tamil Nadu." Two passengers were severely injured. Drones are being used to locate the survivors. The force said that an inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident. The chopper took off from the Sulur air base and was proceeding to Wellington when it crashed. Others who were in the chopper were Brigadier L.S. Lidder, Lieutenant Colonel Harjinder Singh, Naik Gursewak Singh, Naik Jitender Kumar, Naik Vivek Kumar, Naik B. Sai Teja, Havaldar Satpal and pilots. The rescued suffered serious injuries and have been taken to the Military Hospital in Wellington cantonment. The hospital is surrounded by a strong contingent of police personnel. According to reports, four bodies were recovered from the accident site. A former Wing Commander of the IAF told IANS that 'based on the visuals on the news channels, the helicopter must have crashed with a strong impact and exploded'. According to Tamil Nadu Health Secretary Dr J. Radhakrishnan a special medical team has been sent to Coonoor to provide treatment to the injured. TN Chief Minister may visit the injured in the hospital, sources said. (With inputs from PTI and IANS) SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/omicron-variant-compulsory-vaccination-should-be-absolute-last-resort-says-who/slidelist/88161678.cms">Omicron variant: Compulsory vaccination should be ‘absolute last resort’, says WHO</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/parag-agrawals-top-priority-at-twitter-as-new-ceo/articleshow/88157925.cms">Parag Agrawal's top priority at Twitter as new CEO — streamline how the company operates</a>

Army helicopter carrying senior defence officials crashes in Tamil Nadu

(Eds: updates with fresh inputs) New Delhi, Feb 1 () The overall defence budget for 2021-22 was hiked marginally by around 1.4 percent but there was a nearly 19 percent rise in capital outlay for military modernisation even as official data showed that an additional unbudgeted Rs 20,776 crore was spent to buy military hardware in the face of the Ladakh border standoff with China. According to the 2021-22 budget documents presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Parliament, the allocation for the Defence services was increased to Rs 4.78 lakh crore compared to Rs 4.71 lakh crore in the 2020-21 budget. The budget documents showed that the revised capital expenditure for 2020-21 was pegged at Rs 1,34,510 crore as against last year's budgetary allocation of Rs 1,13,734 crore to reflect the additional expenses. The Indian armed forces procured ammunition and weapons from several countries in the last few months following the military face-off with China that erupted on May 5. According to the documents, a total of Rs 1,35,060 crore has been set aside for capital expenditure that includes purchasing new weapons, aircraft, warships and other military hardware. The capital outlay for 2021-22 is an increase of 18.75 percent compared to last year's allocation of Rs 1,13,734 crore. In a tweet, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sitharaman for increasing the defence budget to Rs 4,78,195 crore, and said the nearly 19 percent hike in the capital expenditure is the "highest ever" increase in the last 15 years. The defence minister also expressed happiness over Sitharaman's budget proposal to open 100 new Sainik schools. The Rs 4.78 lakh crore budgetary outlay included an allocation of Rs 1.15 lakh crore for payment of pensions. Significantly, the allocation for payment of pension has come down as it was Rs 1.33 lakh crore in the previous budget. The Defence budget comes to around 1.63 percent of the GDP. Military experts said the drop in the allocation could be an indication of the government's plan to cut expenditure on payment of pension by increasing the retirement age of military officers. However, officials later clarified that the allocation was more in 2020-21 as approximately Rs 18,000 crore was to be paid on account of pension arrears. "Also salary and pension are based on actuals," said an official. Excluding the pension outgo, the total revenue expenditure, which includes expenses on payment of salaries and maintenance of establishments, has been pegged at Rs 2.12 lakh crore. The military experts expressed satisfaction at the overall allocation considering the coronavirus-triggered adverse impact on the economy, though they said India will have to gradually raise its defence spending to deal with increasing external threats. "I am satisfied with the total allocation to the armed forces considering the state of the economy in view of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic," said Dr Laxman Behera, a noted defence expert. He said the increase of around Rs 22,000 crore in capital outlay is a welcome move which will help the three services in carrying out with their modernisation drive. "Nearly 20 percent increase in Capital Defence Budget is positive. Hope we will not see an overspend on the Revenue and Pensions," tweeted former Chief of Army Staff Gen (retd) V P Malik. He said another positive aspect was the assurance that the "capital defence budget" will be non-lapsable as advised by the Finance Commission. In the budget, the Army has been granted a capital outlay of Rs 36,481 crore as against Rs 33,213 crore in 2020-21, as per the revised estimates. The allocation made to the Navy for capital expenditure is Rs 33,253 crore which was Rs 37,542 crore in the previous budget. Similarly, the Indian Air Force(IAF) has been given Rs 53,214 crore to buy new platforms and weapons which is a drop of Rs 1,840 crore compared to the money it spent under capital expenditure in the current fiscal. The budgetary capital outlay for the IAF for 2020-21 was Rs 43,281.91 crore but the revised estimate put the figure at Rs 55,055 crore. "I specially thank PM &amp; FM for increasing the defence budget to 4.78 lakh cr for FY21-22 which includes capital expenditure worth Rs 1.35 lakh crore. It is nearly 19 percent increase in Defence capital expenditure. This is the highest ever increase in capital outlay for defence in 15 yrs," Defence Minister Singh tweeted. The capital allocation for the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has been pegged at Rs 11,375 crore which is an increase of eight percent over the amount earmarked in 2020-21. The allocation for Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has been increased to Rs 6,004 crore which is 7.48 percent more than the amount given in 2021-22. MPB RT GSN GSN GSN

Defence gets Rs 4.78 lakh crore in 2021-22 budget; Nearly 19 percent increase in capital outlay

<ul><li>The Indian Ministry of Defence has wiped three-years worth of monthly reports, dating back to 2017, from its website. </li><li>Archived screenshots of the Ministry of Defence’s website show that the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) Newsletter tab was also absent for a while earlier today. </li><li>The complete takedown of reports is happening after India already removed its June report, which cited China’s ‘unilateral aggression’ against India, in August. </li></ul>India’s Ministry of Defence has removed all of its monthly reports dating back to 2017 from its website. It has not yet issued an explanation as to why the three-years worth of reports were removed. <div type="image" title="VS (4)" msid="78552921" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Screengrab from September courtesy of the WayBackMachine shows the Chief Information Security Officer(CISO) Newsletter tab is absent from the Ministry of Defence’s website earlier today&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Business Insider also discovered that the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) Newsletter tab was also missing earlier today but came back by 4:00 pm. Officials told the <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/china-one-removed-ministry-of-defence-drops-all-reports-since-2017-6711391/">Indian Express</a> that the reports are likely to be back up by next month. According to them, the move is a part of the department’s plan to clean up the procedure of how files are shared with the public — to make them more ‘comprehensive’ rather than just a list of updates. The removal comes after the Ministry of Defence had already removed the report from the month of June in August, which spoke of China’s ‘unilateral aggression’ in Ladakh along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The June 2020 report on <keyword id="839213" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Chinese-Aggression">Chinese aggression</keyword> The monthly report of June addressed the Galwan Valley clash between Indian and Chinese forces, which resulted in the death of 15 Indian soldiers and an undisclosed number of casualties on the Chinese side. It also highlighted that Kugrang Nala, Gogra, and the north bank of Pangong Tso lake were friction points created by Chinese transgressions on May 17 and 18. In the fresh takedown, the reports from April and May have also gone missing. They did not directly point at China but did refer to the crisis along the LAC. Overall, since August 2019, China has been mentioned in India’s monthly reports four times. Once in August 2019 after a meeting of the India-China Joint Working Group and then again in December 2019 after the Indian Army and China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) conducted a joint exercise in Meghalaya. Early this year, in February, China’s name came up again after its warship — Jiangwei-II — was spotted in Pakistani waters a little too close to Porbandar for India’s comfort. And, finally, China was mentioned in March in reference to the construction of the Bailey bridge by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) “to meet the strategic requirements and ensure connectivity to 451 villages in Upper Subansiri District bordering China.” SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/infosys-to-acquire-us-based-data-analytics-company-for-125-million-deal-expected-to-close-in-third-quarter/articleshow/78551010.cms">Infosys to acquire US-based data analytics company for $125 million — deal expected to close in third quarter</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/defense/news/iaf-displays-its-might-with-rafale-apache-tejas-and-others-during-the-annual-air-force-day-airshow/slidelist/78549506.cms">IN PICS: IAF displays its might with Rafale, Apache, Tejas, and others during the annual Air Force Day airshow</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/tcs-and-wipro-lead-rally-in-it-stocks-after-tcs-ceo-announces-multi-year-technology-transformation-cycle-in-the-works/articleshow/78547893.cms">TCS and Wipro lead rally in IT stocks after TCS CEO announces multi-year 'technology transformation' cycle in the works</a>

India’s Defence Ministry removes three-years worth of monthly reports from website

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/51057235.cms" />

	 
	Considering the massive military modernization, OROP commitments and implementation of Seventh Pay Commission a hike is warranted in allocation in the upcoming Budget 2016 for Defense sector. 
	 
	Post the Gurdaspur and Pathannkot attack, the army’s main focus has been on border management. At present, it is more manpower oriented rather than technological. The border management needs a complete overhaul making it more dependent on state of the art technology. A lesson needs to be learnt from Israel whose border management is mainly monitored through technology and less on manpower. The internal security duties and frequent deployment for natural disasters too need to prepare a lot. 
	 
	More autonomy for Airforce? 
	 The air force is still dependent on the bureaucratic hurdle of getting the <keyword id="6381048" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rafale">Rafale</keyword>. Even after the decision of buying the 36 fighters off the shelf, the negotiations are still on. It was expected to be signed during the visit of French President on republic day, but didn’t. The good news though is about the spectacular performance of home made Tejas at the recently completed Bahrain Air Show. Tejas, a 4.5 generation aircraft like Rafale, has always been insufficiently funded by the government and undermined by the IAF with periodic rewriting of ASRs. 
	 
	<keyword id="6355100" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Navy">Indian Navy</keyword> 
	 
	The Navy showcased its growing supremacy at the recently concluded International Fleet Review (IFR). The Navy has emerged as an effective tool of Indian diplomacy in past years, making it imperative for policy-makers to redefine the role of the nation’s naval forces in Indian strategy. The Indian Navy’s role is now changed from being local sea control and shore defense orientation, to a more aggressive naval posture. India needs blue water navy not only to meet emerging naval threats from Pakistan and China. It also has to safeguard strategic location at the center of the Indian Ocean as well as to protect its extensive exclusive economic zone. 
	 
	The Indian Navy also has a 15-year plan to achieve full indigenization in all phases of warship construction as a part of Make in India campaign. But it’s a real long time and the Navy to maintain its supremacy in Indian Ocean and to withstand the rising Chinese Navy’s ambition, still needs Submarines, Frigates and helicopters. 
	 
	Make in India 
	 
	Make in India has led to a lot possibilities for private partnership in defense which can bolster manufacturing sector. In a significant boost for the Indian Air Force, Phil Shaw, chief executive of Lockheed Martin India Private Ltd said "We are ready to manufacture F-16 in India and support the Make in India initiative," at the Singapore Airshow 2016. There have been lots of interesting deals that have been signed under Make In India campaign recently: 
	 
	1) BAE Systems to partner with Mahindra for assembling &amp; testing M777 howitzers 
	 
	2) Bharat Forge forms joint venture with Rafael; to manufacture high-tech defence components 
	 
	3)Mahindra, Airbus sign pact to form joint venture for military helicopters 
	 
	Defense allocation: India versus its neighbours 
	 In the neighborhood, Pakistan's defense budget has consistently been getting an almost double-digit growth meanwhile China maintains a defense budget which is three times the size of India. China’s dangerous adventures can gauged from the recent news that is has deployed surface-to-air missiles (<keyword id="694687" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="SAMS">SAMs</keyword>) near a Chinese-held feature in the Paracel Island group. As reported by Fox News the missile deployment, based on analysis of satellite imagery; the news has since been confirmed by both the U.S. Department of Defense and Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense (MND). 
	 
	Incidents of border stand-offs in the North and claiming of Aksai Chin are major irritants. Besides, India's traditional strategy to combat insurgency and terrorism remains military oriented. Combined with the ambition to extend our maritime sphere of interest, these potential threats will require India to give a boost in its defense spending. 
	 
	Looking at India’s neighborhood scenario the government needs to take a call whether it can or cannot hike the defense spending. Our defense strategy should be based on therealities of the money this government can actually spend. 
	 One also needs to look in to the fact that continued government’s fiscal deficit targets and the need to increase the budget allotment on Education, Health and policies for the poor farmers will also be deciding a factor if this Government can actually spend more than 2% of its <keyword id="35050" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="gdp">GDP</keyword> on defense. 
	 
	The article has been authored by defense analyst Sunil Rampore, who works as a leading consultant in defense and aerospace industry. 
	 
	Image Credit: Indiatimes.com

Budget 2016: Can the Indian defense forces get a little more than 2% of the GDP?

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/47297071.cms" />Modi Government is about to complete one year in office and one year is a significant time for understanding the intent and to some extent the performance of any government. <keyword id="2403978" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="The-Modi-government">The Modi government</keyword> had won the election on the plank of development and its promise to bring ‘acche din’. The article tries to trace some of the promises that were made and the performance of the government during the previous year under various broad themes. 
 
Economy- The government has been helped by what a prominent editor termed ‘acche sitare’, ‘good luck’. It is no doubt true that fall in commodity prices in general and crude oil, in particular, helped the government reign in the <keyword id="6365485" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="fiscal-deficit">fiscal deficit</keyword> and give it headway to make fiscal policies for the country. The fiscal deficit target for 2015-16 has been the pegged by the budget to 3.9%. While this is little above than recommendations of the Fourteenth <keyword id="74136" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="finance-commission">Finance Commission</keyword> ( which recommended it to be 3.6 percent of the <keyword id="35050" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="gdp">GDP</keyword>), the government has understandably batted for growth. The government still is slowly but surely moving towards the limit set by FRBM (Fiscal Responsibility and Budgetary Management) Act, 2003 that pegged the target at a maximum level of 3% of the GDP. The government has also tried to help the <keyword id="34412" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="economy">economy</keyword> gain momentum by enabling legislation for reforms. These included trying to go in for a major reform in the indirect taxation regime as well as accepting the recommendations of Fourteenth <keyword id="25455" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="finance">Finance</keyword> Commission in respect to revenue sharing with states. It was ostensibly done to ensure a spirit of ‘cooperative federalism’ between states and center, as well as greater financial devolution to states. The figure now stands at 42% of the total revenue collection up from the earlier 32%. Also, the year saw growth forecasts been revised for India by a number of International Bodies and agencies. The IMF revised its forecasts to 7.5 % In 2015 in its WEO April 2015 forecast. It was up from the 6.4 projected for 2015 in the WEO April 2014 forecast. Similarly, the Asian Development Bank in its Asian Development Outlook 2015, indicated a bettering economy with less than 5 percent core <keyword id="22195" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Inflation">inflation</keyword>. They also alluded to the new monetary policy framework according to which RBI, India's central bank is to play the role of price stabilization primarily while being mindful of growth. With the policy framework in place, the central bank will be maintaining the inflation target of 4±2 % from FY 2016 onwards. Thus with an overall bettering situation a total score of 7.5 out of 10. 
 
Foreign Engagement and Defence- Foreign engagement was by far the area where the most vigorous activity and keen intent were observed. The sphere saw initiatives undertaken by the PM himself to make India more noticeable as well as more integrated with the International sphere. It included among many things, trips to foreign countries both in the neighbourhood as well as to countries like Germany, France, Australia, US, Canada and most recently beginning May 14, 2015 his trip to China. The engagement also saw a large number of foreign dignitaries coming to India from across the world. The engagement also saw bilateral agreements as well as plans to invest in India's development by countries and companies abroad, most notably by Japan, US and China. Also, steps to resolve contentious issues have been undertaken pertaining to the border areas with neighbours. It includes the recently passed Bangladesh Land Accord Bill that envisages transferring enclaves and demarcation of the boundary along the present porous borders. Also, in the broad sphere of defence the decision to acquire 36 Rafale fighter jets is a welcome step. More such acquisitions will have to be made since these 36 planes would add just two squadrons to thirty-five squadrons that IAF has. It is below an authorized strength of forty-two which will be down to twenty- five by 2022. It means we must speed up the process of defense acquisitions since there is urgent need to upgrade and modernize the armed forces and security apparatus in India. Overall a score of 8.5 out of 10 foreign engagement and 7.5 out of 10 on defence. 
 
 
Agriculture- Here the government has not been able to do that well, and it is understandable because there has been erratic weather accentuated by some mismanagement by the government. The sector is critical as most people are dependent on it for employment. Added to the weather were the issues of land acquisition and urea availability to farmers. Land Acquisition Bill though being blocked by the opposition on the farmer rights plank is linked directly to the development of clusters and employment of youth for especially rural areas. The focus of the government seems to be the development of irrigation facilities under its Pradhanmantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana. A fund was proposed to be set up for marginalized farmers with a corpus of Rs. 25000 crores in NABARD. An overall score of 6.5 on 10. 
 
Industrial policy and power- Industrial policy saw a continuity from the previous regime. The National Manufacturing Policy (NMP) was hailed by the 'Make in India' as the 'most comprehensive and significant policy initiative of the government'. The 'Make in India' is an initiative that is critically dependent on other factors. These include availability of land, ease of doing business as well as removal of inverse duty structures that make imports of finished products cheaper than finished products. Apart from this labour policies that favour flexibility in hiring and firing are also seen to be the main bottlenecks. While the government has taken some steps to rectify, these bottlenecks outcomes are yet to be seen. Similarly, the <keyword id="44528" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="FDI">FDI</keyword> policy has seen incremental reforms with the opening up of <keyword id="35450" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="insurance">insurance</keyword> and defence sectors further to 49% from the earlier limit of 26%. Both these are positive steps for the economy. Greater structural changes could have been undertaken in these spheres especially with the mandate, but nonetheless significant work is been done. In the power sector, much has been achieved. It included the successful auction of the coal mines, which is slated to rope in a massive 15 lakh crore over the 30-year timeframe if all the mines are auctioned and are working at optimum output. Apart from this coal production was at an all-time high as well as the government seems on track to meet the power requirements of the country. Overall a score of 6.5 for industries and a score of 8 for power out of 10. 
 
Education- The countries' education system can broadly be classified under two broad areas- higher education and school education. There are several schemes that are operational under these. The government in the past one-year has come up with several new initiatives including the Beti-Bachao Beti Padhao Abhiyan, Swachh Vidyalaya and GIS Mapping of schools and has opened several new institutions. However, the fact remains that despite all government’s initiatives most people if given a choice, prefer private schooling since it gives their children a competitive edge later on in their careers. The governments of the past have failed in this and correcting this anomaly will take time. Also, in respect to higher education the government seems keen to have holistic development with several new AIIMS, IIM and IIT like institutions being opened in states that have a paucity of these. What remains to seen is how quality and not just quantity is pursued within these institutions while ensuring regional development. An overall score of 6.5 on 10. 
 
Infrastructure- The primary focus of the government in this sphere is up-gradation of existing and quick development of new infrastructure. The first can be observed in the push for railway up-gradation and improvement in customer service. The second can be observed more in the highways sector with the minister setting himself a target of 30 km a day by 2017. In March this year 11 km of roads were being laid. The broad ambit of infrastructure covers the development of roads, highways, ports, airport, waterways, canals, and railways. It is too early to judge the government's progress on the same however the fact that there is clearance for projects worth close to Rs. 6 lakh Crore across 10 key sectors. It shows intent on the part of government for infrastructure development. Overall a score of 7.5 on 10. 
 
Social Schemes- The social schemes of the government have been particularly impressive. These include the <keyword id="2494045" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="jan-dhan">Jan Dhan</keyword> Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Jivan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) and Atal Pension Yojana and many other social missions like the <keyword id="6562839" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Swacch-Bharat-Mission">Swacch Bharat Mission</keyword> and the Clean Ganga Mission. For the Jan Dhan Yojana already around 12.5 crore accounts have been opened along with a capital infusion of Rs 10,500 crore into the system. The three recently launched social security schemes (namely the (PMJJBY), Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana ) and Atal Pension Yojana) have got nearly 6.5 crore subscriptions. It is because (PMJJBY) scheme offers Rs. 2 lakh cover for a mere 330 Rs. Per year (provided bank account holders are from age 18-50). Under the (PMSBY), renewable one-year accident cum disability cover of Rs. 2 lakh is provided for Rs.12 premium every year. The Atal Pension Yojana is aimed at those people who work in the unorganised sector and do not fall under the ambit of regular pension. The scheme offers pension under various brackets depending on the contribution made over a period. The scheme is for people in the age bracket 18-40 years. The social focus of the government is also evident from the fact the government has continued with previous schemes and linked them with technology for targeted interventions. The JAM (Jan Dhan Account, Aadhaar Cards and Mobiles) number Trinity as mentioned in the budget speech is an example of the same. The government seems to have a social focus for benefit to poor. An overall score of 8 on 10. 
 
Urbanization and Urban development- The urbanization and urban development received an increased thrust under the 100 Smart City project. The thrust of the present government is not only on up gradation of brownfield cities but also development of new greenfield cities. Traditionally, India has been slow to urbanize, and at present 32 percent of people reside in urban areas. However, the quality of urban life has seen a precipitous decline in the past few decades. The government's smart city initiative is a step aimed at understanding and absorbing the migration of people from rural to urban areas. However, the implementation of the project holds the key. Success in greenfield development is critically linked to land acquisition. Also, will the 'smart cities' improve liveability for the ever-burgeoning population remains to be seen? The project is ambitious in scope and the past year has seen some activity with the launch of the GIFT city in Gujarat and work on cities of DMIDC. An overall score of 6.5 on 10. 
 
Health and Environment- Health along with education have been two areas where successive governments have faltered. The system in India needs a drastic overhaul and increased spending by the government. Also there is a severe shortage of trained personnel in the sector. Add to this the decrepit facilities in rural areas that forces one to look at ways and means to better delivery. The activity in the health ministry was seen to be rather subdued. However, the taxation on cigarettes ensures that a majority of population reconsiders decision to buy cigarettes. The quality of air and the general pollution levels in Indian cities pose serious health issues for all residents. Disease patterns are also changing and this calls for a comprehensive approach to healthcare access and delivery. Not much has been done in this regard. An overall score of 6 on 10. 
 
<keyword id="107737" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Entrepreneurship">Entrepreneurship</keyword> and Employment- For the first time a separate ministry for entrepreneurship has seen the light of the day. This fact along with the fact that skilling are the main thrust areas of the ministry make it clear that the government is in sync with the present ground reality. A million people will enter the workforce every month over the next decade. So it becomes imperative that India produces jobs for its burgeoning workforce. That will not just come from formal and informal sector but will require a thrust for entrepreneurship. Similarly, thrust for skilling is imperative. Further, a draft policy on skill development and entrepreneurship has already been made and put out for public consultation. Though much remains to be seen in terms of its impact the direction and intent, in this case, seems to be spot on. An overall score of 7.5 on 10. 
 
Overall, in assessing the performance, the government seems to have taken cognizance of the major challenges facing India in multiple spheres and taken requisite steps. It seems to be headed in the right direction. It augurs well for India in the medium to long term. Much will depend on the speed of legislation, decision-making and implementation over the next four years. 
 
(Dr. Amit Kapoor is President and CEO of India Council on Competitiveness and Honorary Chairman of Institute for Competitiveness, India. He tweets @kautiliya and can be contacted at <a href="mailto:amit.kapoor@competitiveness.in">amit.kapoor@competitiveness.in</a>. The article is co-authored with Sankalp Sharma who is Senior Researcher at Institute for Competitiveness)

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