This time also the expectations of the expected increase in the defense budget were dashed. The defense budget has increased by just six percent compared to last year. While the demand for an increase of 15-20 per cent was made by the Ministry of Defense. When compared to the revised defense budget of last year, this increase is just two percent. Defense experts said that if we look at the defense budget in proportion to GDP, we have gone back to the level of 1962.

When Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the General Budget on Saturday, he did not even mention the defense budget in about a quarter of a three-hour speech. It was clear that the increase is not as expected. Whereas the defense budget was an important part of the general budget and it is monitored by the entire country.

Last year, Rs 3.18 lakh crore was allocated in the defense budget. While 3.37 lakh crore has been allocated for the next year in the general budget. The revised estimate of the expenditure of the defense budget this year is 3.31 lakh crore. According to this, the increase is negligible. Explain that it does not include the amount allocated for pension of ex-servicemen. This amount is 1.33 lakh crore rupees separately. 

Concerns over budget constraints The  
increase in defense budget is important for several reasons. From guns to ships, ships and fighter aircraft have to be modernized. Reorganization is also underway in the Army. In which massive money is needed. Security challenges have increased with Pakistan as well as China. The army, navy have many times expressed concern over the lack of budget. The former chief of the Air Force has said that 40 years old cannot drive a car but we are flying fighter aircraft. He says that due to the increase in the budget in recent years, inflation is not being compensated. 

Increase of ten thousand crores in the budget of modernization, the budget of modernization of armies has increased  by about ten thousand crores. This time around Rs 1.13 lakh crore has been allocated. Which is Rs 10340 crore more than the previous time. This amount has to be allocated among the three armies. Obviously, this amount will prove to be cumin in the camel’s mouth.

Defense budget
2014-15-229000 crore
2015-16-246727 crore
2016-17- -258000 crore
2017-18–274114 crore
2018-19-295571 crore
2019-20-318931 crore during last few years 

-3.37 lakh crore allocated for defense budget
-3.18 lakh crore was last year’s defense budget 
-1.13 lakh crore has been given for capital expenditure-
2.09 lakh crore rupees will be spent on revenue expenditure-
1.5% Defense allocation of GDP, lowest since 1962