While the world has been battling the COVID-19 pandemic over the last couple of years, there has been an additional challenge for India at our borders with China in Ladakh. Chinese attempts to force changes in the border has led to huge deployments on both sides of the Line of Actual Control (LAC), with a build-up of troops, weapons and platforms, which is into its third year now.
Against this backdrop, it was expected that the defence budget would be enhanced this year. The overall budgetary allocation for defence this year is Rs 5.25 lakh crore (Rs 52,5166.15 crore, to be precise) which is Rs 47,000 crore more than the last year's Rs 4.78 lakh crore. The allocation registers an almost 10% increase from last year, while the inflation itself is touching 6 per cent. If compared with the Revised Estimates (which includes additional allocations made later, over and above the budgeted amount), the increase will be smaller.