New Delhi: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the country's general budget on Wednesday (February 1). A total allocation of Rs 5.94 lakh crore has been made for the defense sector in the budget for the year 2023-24. This amount is about eight percent of the total budget. Compared to the last financial year, this time the defense budget has been increased by Rs 70 thousand crores. This is 13 percent more than last year (5.25 lakh crore).

According to Sitharaman, out of the budget allocated to the defense sector, Rs 1.62 lakh crore has been approved for the purchase of arms and ammunition. At the same time, 2.70 lakh crore rupees will be spent on the salary of the soldiers and on raising the necessary resources for them. Along with this, an amount of Rs 1 lakh 38 thousand crores has been kept for the pension of retired soldiers. If you look at the last 4 defense budgets, it has increased year after year. In the year 2019-20, the defense budget was Rs 4.31 lakh crore, while in 2020-21 it was increased to Rs 4.71 lakh crore. In 2021-22, Rs 4.78 crore was allocated for the defense of the country. Besides, the defense budget for the year 2022-23 was Rs 5.25 lakh crore. 

When Pandit Nehru cut the budget:-

But, if we look into the past, there was a time when the country's first PM Jawaharlal Nehru's government cut the defense budget. What China did after that became the deepest wound in the history of Indian bravery. At the time when there was a situation of confrontation between China and India, Pandit Nehru reduced the defense budget of 1959. After 3 years, a war broke out between India and China, in which India was badly defeated.

Let us tell you that the year was 1959 when the Nehru government cut the defense budget by Rs 25 crore. Apart from this, 82 crore rupees were reduced in the central budget. This was such a decision of PM Nehru, which cost the country dearly, due to which the Indian Army lost badly in the 1962 war. India not only lost the war, but several thousands of square kilometers of land in Aksai Chin also went under the occupation of China. The then Nehru government had received several warnings about Chinese attacks, about 2.5 years before 1962 Chinese troops started occupying the border. Even after this, Jawaharlal Nehru and the then Defense Minister Krishna Menon did not feel the need for consultation and discussion with the army. The result was that India had to face the worst defeat in its history.

Nehru ignored all the signals given by the army and made little effort to strengthen the army. Reports even say that Pandit Nehru and the then Defense Minister VK Krishna Menon had planned to defame General Thimayya (Chief of the Army Staff from 1957 to 1961) in a systematic manner. Not only this, but even before 1959, Nehru wanted to disband the Indian Army. According to the biography of Major General AA "Jick" Rudra of the Indian Army, a book written by Major General DK "Monty" Palit, After a few years of independence, Nehru had said, 'How does India need a 'Defence Plan'? Non-violence is our policy. We do not see any threat from the military point of view. Scrap the army. Police are there to meet security requirements. But, when we look at the challenges of the present times, when we see China-Pakistan keeping a dirty eye on our borders, we realize how necessary a strong and modern army is for India.

A comprehensive list of new schemes announced in Budget Budget 2023

BIT engineer makes lighting traffic jacket, will be very helpful for cops

Ind vs NZ: Shubman Gill's brilliant maiden T20 ton, became first Indian batsman to do so