New Delhi: There is an imperative need to motivate students interested in defence and military technology and for this purpose Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) should set up research laboratories in premier institutes like Indian Institute of Technologies and Indian Institute of Sciences, Bengaluru.
The Standing Committee on Defence in its 42nd report, tabled in Parliament, said that DRDO has instituted various DRDO Industry Academia- Centre of Excellence (DIA- COE) in various IITs, IISC and Central Universities across the country for research engagement with academia and industries.
The Committee chaired by Radha Mohan Singh expressed their satisfaction at the extant mechanism in DRDO for research engagement with academia and industries. The Committee in their Original Report had also urged DRDO to focus more on new and emerging areas of technology applications such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Robotics for furthering their research-base and also exploring the possibility of AI’s application in various systems and sub-systems developed by them.
The Committee felt that the ongoing conflict in the international arena has revealed, to a great extent, the hazards of a hybrid warfare, with both kinetic and non-kinetic operations. Keeping in view such drastic transformation in the warfare technology, the Committee feels that there is a need for fervid focus on Research and Development in the field of hybrid warfare, especially kinetic and non-kinetic warfare. Therefore, the Committee recommend that DRDO, in collaboration with academia and industries, should further broad-base their R&D efforts to include areas such as hybrid, kinetic and non-kinetic warfare as well as anti-drone capabilities including sea drones and interceptive drones by according highest priorities in order to enhance the country’s combat readiness against any non-conventional warfare and security threats.
After examining the budgetary provision allocated to Department of Defence for research and development, the Committee noted that during the last two years, there has been a decrease in the Budget estimation and the Budget approved or allocated. In the year 2021-22, the projected amount was Rs 23,460 crore and the allocated amount was Rs 20,457.44 crore which was Rs 3002.56 crore less than the projection. Later, at the stage of Revised Estimate, the allocation was reduced to Rs 18,337.44 crore. Likewise, in the year 2022-23, the projected amount was Rs 22,990 crore and the allocated amount stood at Rs 21,330.20 crore which was Rs 1659.80 crore less than the projection. Since providing a budget to an organisation is a conscientious exercise envisaging R&D activities in a year, making a cut at the last stage will have an adverse impact on the performance of the organisation.
The Committee recommended that the Ministry should undertake all out efforts and impress upon the Ministry of Finance to provide sufficient budgetary support as near as possible to the projections of DRDO. They also recommended that in future it should be ensured that no cuts are made in the Defence Budget pertaining to DRDO while allocating the finances.
Drawing a comparative analysis of the budgetary spending on R&D in India with that of developed countries, the Committee noted that with the current percentage of funding, India can only aspire to become aatmanirbhar and protect itself. However, to have aspirations to become a global leader, this percentage will not be sufficient. Keeping this objective in mind, the Committee expressed its desire that R&D expenditure with respect to the percentage of defence budget should be increased in subsequent years so that DRDO can achieve and accomplish their well-defined objectives and render technical deliverance through their ongoing projects.
The Committee found that 8 to 10 per cent of the total DRDO budget is being spent on fundamental research. The Committee have reservations about the existing state of affairs regarding the utilisation of fund for existing R&D activities in DRDO.
The Ministry in its action taken reply has stated as under: “DRDO plan to expand its research activities in the areas of Quantum Technologies, Artificial intelligence, Cognitive Technologies, Smart materials, Asymmetric Technologies, Terahertz, Directed Energy Systems, High Power Electromagnets, DRDO established a network of DRDO Industry Academia-Centres of Excellence (DIA-CoEs) for collaborative directed research in developing critical and futuristic technologies for defence and security applications. So far 15 DIA-CoEs have been established at various IITs, IISc, Central and State Universities.”
The Committee recall that while commending the role played by DRDO in the last 65 years in the areas of scientific, technological and armament development, they had desired that DRDO should be encouraged to further expand the existing research-base and venture into new areas of development keeping in view the country’s future military needs.
The Committee was informed that the Armed Forces personnel face certain difficulties in the remote and far-flung border areas owing to their dependence on conventional sources of energy only. The Committee felt that DRDO, being one of the most advanced research organisation, should explore avenues for tapping new and renewable sources of energy such as solar and wind in those far-flung areas to ensure energy security for the Armed Forces personnel deployed in the remotest border areas for meeting their obvious daily needs.
– The writer is a senior journalist and media consultant. The views expressed are of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda.
