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| Allocate more funds for R&D to reduce imports | | | Whatever may have been the rea-
son India has cleared a major project
for purchasing two types of helicopters from the US. Well one reason could be to upgrade the air strike by the Indian Air Force. Secondly, the plan was cleared hours before Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, had to leave for Ireland and USA which clearly indicates that New Delhi wanted to keep Washington in good humour so that US would support India's bid for a permanent membership of the UN Security council. The helicopter deal which would entail expenses to the tune of Rs.16500 crores would definitely motivate Washington to support India, politically, diplomatically and materially. The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has cleared the deal to acquire two types of specialised helicopters for the Indian Air Force (IAF)-one for undertaking attacks and the other for lifting heavy loads. At present, the IAF uses Russian/Soviet-produced helicopters for both these roles. The CCS okayed the decision to buy 15 of the 47F Chinook helicopters that will lift heavy loads and 22 AH-64D Apache attack helicopters. It is estimated to cost around Rs 16,500 crores. Both types of helicopters, which were used extensively in Afghanistan, are produced by Boeing, the Seattle-based US aerospace giant. There is an option clause of buying seven more Chinooks and 11 Apache
Well India continues to bank on heavy imports of sophisticated weapons and long range guns besides helicopters and fighter planes from various developed nations. Hitherto, India has been banking on imports of these equipments from Russia but of late New Delhi has widened its option and is in search of the best equipment whether it is from the US or Russia or from any other developed nation. The only reason for India to bank on heavy imports of these sophisticated war machinery for its three wings of the Armed forces, the Army, the Navy and the Air Force, is the result of meagre amount being earmarked for research and development. The level of research activities in the Government and the private sector continues to be quite meagre. And the best brains have already migrated to various developed nations where they have made solid contribution in the field of research and development. These best brains in India had to find better job avenues in the developed nations after they found that there were neither the required facilities nor sufficient funds for their research programmes. Had the successive Governments made added annual allocations on research and development India would have reduced the level of import of sophisticated weapons, helicopters and submarines and fighter planes.
If not anybody else but the Director General of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Dr S Christopher has lifted the lid from poor allocations on research and development. He has said the budget allocation for research and development has remained inadequate as compared to China's massive spending on this front. He has stated that five to six per cent of the budget for R&D was inadequate, especially when China was spending 20 per cent on it. With the meagre allocation for research and development the DRDO cannot do enough with this amount. He said a case to recruit 436 new scientists in the organisation was also pending with the government. Even with meagre funds he has listed induction of India's indigenous nuclear missile carrying submarine, the INS Arihant, as a target for the current year. Parrikar said: "I cannot see why we can't produce a basic assault rifle carried by the Army or a bullet-proof jacket used by our troops. If the Defence Minister has made an observation which is critical of the system why should he not take up the issue with Prime Minister and in the union cabinet so that he is able to motivate Modi and his cabinet colleagues for allocating better funds for research and development. Spending more on imports invariably upsets the economy of a nation like India, which is not in a favourable position like Pakistan which has been depending on heavy military aid from China and Washington. By banking on heavy military aid from China Pakistan has sold its land and "soul" to Beijing which has taken the liberty of setting up its military bases in mountain regions of Pakistan occupied Kashmir. Hence it is mandatory for India to allocate sufficient funds for research and development which could reduce the level of imports. |
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