Introduction

The Ministry of Defence is charged with the coordinating and supervising of all agencies and functions of the government relating directly to national security and the Indian armed forces. The defence of India and every part thereof is ensured by the Government of India. The President is vested with the supreme command of the Armed Forces of the country and the responsibility for national defence rests with the Cabinet. The Ministry of Defence provides the policy framework and resources to the armed forces to discharge their responsibility in the context of the defence of the country. The Indian Armed Forces (including Indian Army, Indian Air Force, Indian Navy) and Indian Coast Guard under the Ministry of Defence are primarily responsible for ensuring the territorial integrity of India.

Departments

Framing policy directions on defence and security related matters and communicating them for implementation to the Services Headquarters, Inter-Service Organisations, Production Establishments and Research & Development Organisations is the principal task of the Ministry. It is required to ensure effective implementation of the Government’s policy directions and the execution of approved programmes within the allocated resources.

Functions of all the Departments are as follows

• The Department of Defence – The Department of Defence is mandated with the Defence of India including defence policy. It deals with the Inter-Services Organizations, Defence Accounts Department, Coast Guard, National Cadet Corps, Border Roads Organisation, Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis, National Defence College etc. The Department of Defence is also responsible for the Defence Budget, defence lands and cantonments, matters relating to Parliament, and defence cooperation with foreign countries.

• The Department of Defence Production – The Department of Defence Production is headed by a Secretary and deals with matters relating to defence production, indigenisation of imported stores, equipment and spares, planning and control of departmental production units of the Ordnance Factory Board and Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs).

• The Department of Defence Research and Development – The Department of Defence Research and Development is headed by a Secretary. Its function is to advise the Government on scientific aspects of military equipment and logistics and the formulation of research, design and development plans for equipment required by the Services.

• The Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare – The Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare is headed by a Secretary and deals with all resettlement, welfare and pensionary matters of Ex-Servicemen.

• The Department of Military Affairs – The Department of Military Affairs deals with the Armed Forces of the Union such are, Army, Navy and Air Force; Integrated Headquarters of the Ministry of Defence; the Territorial Army; Works relating to the three services etc. The Department promotes jointness among the three Services. The Department of Military Affairs is headed by the Ex-Servicemen Welfare Secretary.

Conclusion

The Ministry of Defence provides the policy framework and wherewithal to the Armed Forces to discharge their responsibilities in the context of the defence of the country.The Raksha Mantri (Defence Minister) is the head of the Ministry of Defence.

Presently, the new creation of National Defence University, for training of military officials and concerned civilian officials, is administered and overseen by the Ministry. The Ministry also organises and runs the Republic Day celebrations and parade every year in January, hosting a chief guest. The largest budget among the federal departments of India is with this Ministry and currently stands third in military expenditure in the world, among the countries of the world.

Aishwarya Says:

I have always been against Glorifying Over Work and therefore, in the year 2021, I have decided to launch this campaign “Balancing Life”and talk about this wrong practice, that we have been following since last few years. I will be talking to and interviewing around 1 lakh people in the coming 2021 and publish their interview regarding their opinion on glamourising Over Work.

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