Defence Ministry’s year-end report highlights border readiness, record budget

The Defence Ministry on Friday released its year-end report, summarising major developments in the Indian Army, defence budget, and the ambitious Gaganyaan programme.

INDIAN ARMY OPERATIONS

• Operational Readiness: The Indian Army maintained a high state of operational preparedness along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and Line of Control (LoC), conducting counter-terrorist operations while focusing on infrastructure development in border areas under the government’s “Viksit Bharat Vision“.
• LAC Update: A broad consensus was reached on October 21, 2024, to restore ground situations along the LAC. Troop disengagement and relocation in friction areas like Depsang and Demchok have been completed, with traditional patrolling resumed.
• LoC stability and counter-terrorism: The LoC remains peaceful following the 2021 Director General Military Operations (DGsMO) agreement. Security in Jammu and Kashmir continues to improve post the abrogation of Article 370, despite occasional spikes in violence.

DEFENCE BUDGET

The defence budget for Financial Year (FY) 2024-25 reached a record allocation of Rs 6.22 lakh crore ($75 billion), marking an 18.43 per cent increase from FY 2022-23. The key spending includes 27.66 per cent for capital expenditures, prioritising domestic industry procurement, 30.66 per cent for pay and allowances, and 22.70 per cent for pensions. The allocation represents 12.9 per cent of India’s total budget estimate.

GAGANYAAN PROGRAMME

The Gaganyaan programme aims to demonstrate human spaceflight capabilities in low Earth orbit. Four Indian Air Force officers were honoured with ‘Space Wings’ in February 2024 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Two astronauts, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, are undergoing space training at NASA for the Axiom-4 mission to the International Space Station in 2025.