Decreasing defense expenditure and increasing social expenditure is the need of the hour

Seeing the myriad problems in our nation, right from denial of basic education to proper sheltering, lack of nutritious food to less agri output, bad infrastructure to very minimal R&D investment, its quite true, that defence expenditure must be reduced saving lakhs of crores of money and using it for other productive purpose that would increase the life expectancy of our people, provide them with better living conditions, better environment, proper education opportunities, jobs and employments, etc. Buying huge caches of arms and ammunition would make us strive more and more for it. That too for a war that looks very uncertain. Ofcourse there should be national deterrent defense capability, but investing too much on them is denying basic rights and facilities to our own people of our nation where millions don't have their own home, toilets in their houses, don't have food to eat two times a day, don't have money to educate their kids, and provide them higher education in good colleges. Are we not doing injustice to them. Yes, safeguarding our territory from foreign attack or invasion is paramount and preparedness to that should be inevitable, but can't we find better ways to deal with that instead of spending billions in buying Arms from Russia, USA Israel and Uk. We can enhance greater trades with our neighbour who probably is our enemy. Y can't we encourage a situation where India takes a project in Pakistan, funds it, develops it and gift it to them and vice versa. Should we not increase people to people contact, or increase tourism between our nations. This all would help us to dissipate the air of hatred and war among us.

Annual defense budget of the US is $581 m, China $129.4 m and India is $45.2 m. The sorry state of arms & ammunition that India have gets exposed each time she is attacked by terrorists. The last one in Mumbai saw Indian police and military running with totally outdated guns (the police cut a even sorry figure running with rifles) while the goons boldly moved with AK47.

It's obvious that a nation should spend on meeting the basic needs of its people but at the same time should be very well prepared to save the very same people against any sort of terrorism. Our brave soldiers & policemen give away their lives; but actually they are the victim of politics. With a rusted rifle one should not expect them to outclass a terrorist with a modern weapon. It's high time the government think about this. Also, instead of spending billions to import peanuts, govt. Should move forward with Make in India and start manufacturing indigenous weapons.

Finally, I would like to point out the expenditure incurred on armed forces. Government should also look into the monetary side and safety of our soldiers. Instead of increasing the pension of retired personnel, the govt should do something for the welfare of the men in harness. If the safety of our soldiers are not looked into, then we'll have countless numbers of Hemant Karkare, Vijay Salaskar.

I think we have to establish friendship with Myanmar and have to use their soil the way China is using Pakistan. Then we need help of US to modernize our defence sector and sign treaties to seek their help if battle with China or Pakistan starts, and the same should be with Japan. Now we need more numbers of advance submarines and we also need to build many air bases next to China and Pakistan border and connect those areas with roads and rail route. We should add an extra part in defense recruitment exams as decision taking ability as we need soldiers who are not only strong but also smart and intelligent.

And for all these we need bigger part of the GDP or China and Pakistan together will convert us to homeless refugees. Feeding your baby is your responsibility not of the govt they can't waste money by giving rice at rupees 2. India's poverty and too much population is a growing problem as they eat up the majority of our GDP adding very little to it per head. Whatever we have two options feed these poor and surrender to China or increase funding to the defense sector to at least 4.5% of GDP and 6-7% if possible and fight for existence because currently our future not so safe.

There is no any need to reduce the defense expenditure as it is essential for our life a, national dignity and pride. Our neighboring China has a budget of 132 million, where as we have allocated only 36 million USD for this sector. In no condition security of nation should be compromised.

Social investment is also the need of the hour and Government of India is running so many programs across the nation for the same. In my opinion some of the programs are not at all popular and not not reaching to the people properly. Those programs should be stopped and government should launch programs like NREGA, Indira Awas which are very popular and whose benefits is reaching to all BPL people. Yes, it is right that there is some percentage of corruption in this and with the tough effort of the government, it has been checked up to a large extent. In the same manner Government should combine many programs together and try to make a full proof few programs with proper policy framework, so that the benefits of programs could reach easily to real beneficiary. This way the social agenda of government will continue in better manner and the same will cater the need of the people too.

In my opinion, India should never be compromised with whatever it may be like social expenditure etc.

As we know, around the world so many attacks were happened. Recently in Pakistan 147 students died in Taliban attack. During 26/11 attacks Mumbai policemen were fighting with latish and pre-independence rifles against with terrorist laced with AK47's consequently several policeman had to sacrifice their lives.

In our borders millions of soldiers and personal guarding protecting us. We don't won't them to lose their lives just because we had poor defense equipment's and obsolete technology.

Yes, Social development is very important. In India we can see so many sachems for the people like PDS (Public food Distribution System) , fertilizers. For these schemes India spending corers of money.

Now a days every country would prefer to be advance in defense technology like US, China, Japan etc. Because they would prefer safety first.

For example if we spend a lot of money on social expenditure rather than defense expenditure. What should we do with schemes without safety? At the end, I am going to conclude is India should spend money on defense part.

Well lets just say we are increasing defense budget we are getting new weapons developing new weapons but how do we know those weapons we are bringing are agile and likely forward changing like even we brought a fighter jet it has a limited flight capacity in 10000 hrs and gas turbine inside this jet need to be replaced which is whole lot another cost.

So I propose developing a sound is great need for India. If any country comes its way against India we can develop weapons then yeah it may take time but we strong manufacturing facility. But sorry why anyone would like to attack us?We would burn their house to ground how we got largest population for fight.

What losing our economy is the thing there is a clear line of distinction between rich and poor it could severely create riots and political in-stabilization. The poor people they are not even educated as it seem to be.

So education must be more preferable than defense. Because education could create better solutions like Kerala's all round development. Do we even have power 24/7 in our villages?

Hi friends, At first I have to say that India is currently expending nearly $46 m in its defense. It is necessary due to the exterior attacks from our neighboring countries in some of our key cities as well as border areas. It is also important to face internal warmongers like Maoists, Jihadists.

It is very sad to see in Mumbai terror attack that we still do not have adequate armories with respect to the ones used by the terrorists. Besides this, there is a constant threat of China in our North-eastern areas. So decreasing our defensive expenditure is clearly a No No.

But I do not think that social expenditure has to be decreased either. Because after all we have a nation to defend and at the same time we must not forget that it has to be made stronger internally. We can utilize our social expenditure by bringing black money back.

At the same time we must not use public money to bear expenses of criminals like Kasav. Instead we need to pay attention to those who are in actual need. Only maintaining balance between these two, India can prosper.

Defence and strategic needs are the backbones of a country, no any compensation should be done in this regard. Due emphasis should be given on indigenous weapon developments and research works, by the central. And this obviously will demand a high budget allocation.

Supporting the defence expenditure, the social and economic status of a country is also a major issue. Poverty, employment, and education are the major areas for enhancement in India. Budget allocated for social upliftment of the country is adequate, but due to Indian politics and the game of corruption, the total amount for the social cause has never reached the beneficiaries, passing through different parties, officials and procedure, the poor hardly gets benefited by 20% of the total.

Improving the procedure of different schemes and funds, making it available directly to the beneficiaries, would reduce corruption, and will help the country to be socially stable. So not much increase in social expenditure is required.

Right now, I think India has its hands full on both fronts. As India is growing and at one of the fastest rate in the world, a larger economy like China is slowing down and looking at India as a threat to its power in South Asia and the world. Pakistan is also trying to pull India down so that it feels safe about its own power, considering it wants to be seen as India's equal. In this situation, India has no other options but to bulk up its defence expenditure as just becoming a bigger economy won't help India to seen as a global power. It needs to be seen as a military power in proportion to economic growth. In terms of social expenditure, India spends a lot in form of subsidies, loan waivers, rural development, and many different govt plans. I don't feel India needs to increase social expenditure but to start managing it better. With 60% population only contributing 17% of GDP is a very bad ratio and one of the major components that are a burden on our economy.

Hello friends.

Everyday in news paper or electronic media we saw that our country is being attacked by the terrorists by means of some time face to face or guerrilla method. Our brave soldiers stand every day and night by putting their self in risk for saving us. It is the north east part where we will always have to prepare as the track record of our neighboring countries are not good. Maoist attacks are also annoying.

Mumbai terrorist attack is also the one where intruders had come from sea way. In no time horripilation of fear tingle down by seeing the images of Kargil war and Mumbai attacks. So friends I am not disapproving that social welfare get secondary, but defense expenditure is mandatory. Here there is not comparison between what is wrongly done or right whether what is necessarily first. Here we are not so frugal about those. It is like that if your body is alright then all stuff like reading, playing etc are done properly.