UPA left behind ammunition shortage but no shortfall now: Sitharaman
New Delhi, June 5: Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday targeted the previous Congress-led UPA government, saying the Army faced ammunition shortage when it left the office in 2014 and that the issue has now been tackled by the Modi government.
"When we came in, there was ammunition shortage, there is no doubt about it. People who are accusing us today should also say where did the shortage come from," Sitharaman said in response to a query at a press conference here.
"So, the debate about shortage now should tell me with all the outlays and all the decision making you want us to believe that was done before 2014, why was there shortage of ammunition then. You made the outlays, now you are alleging there is shortage now. You did not have shortage then. Why did you leave the country with ammunition shortage? Let us also look in those directions," she added.
The Minister, who compared the allocations and expenditure during the UPA government with that during the NDA government, said steps had been taken to overcome the ammunition shortage.
"Now I am telling you there is no shortage and that was the reason why powers were given to the headquarters, backed by enough funds, backed also by ... that some of the capital purchases can also be facilitated through the revenue route," she said.
The Congress has accused the Modi government of taking defence "very lightly" following a Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) report which highlighted the shortage of ammunition that the Indian Army was facing.
The CAG report on the Army and ordnance factories, tabled in Parliament last year, had said that the Army was battling critical shortage of ammunition, especially for tanks and artillery, and 121 out of the 152 types of munition did not meet the minimum levels needed to fight a full-scale war.
It had said in the last few years, no significant improvement was made in the availability of War Wastage Reserve (WWR), which is ammunition needed to meet the requirements of 40 days of intense war or a full-scale war.
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Siddaramaiah stresses need to establish Supreme Court bench in South India
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday stressed the need to improve accessibility to the highest court of the land, asserting that establishing a Supreme Court bench in South India would go a long way in ensuring justice.
Speaking at the 22nd Biennial State Level Conference of Judicial Officers with a theme 'Reimagining the Judiciary in the era of Artificial Intelligence', he said, the authority of a judge must never be overshadowed by the authority of an algorithm.
"Even as we explore these new frontiers, we must remain mindful of the enduring challenges facing our judiciary," the chief minister said.
"Pendency of cases continues to be a serious concern that affects the timely delivery of justice. While technology can provide tools to address this, it must be complemented by systemic reforms through strengthening infrastructure, increasing judicial capacity, and modernising court processes," Siddaramaiah said.
"There is also a strong and compelling need to improve accessibility to the highest court of the land. The establishment of a Supreme Court bench in South India would go a long way in ensuring justice," he said.
Chief Justice of India, Surya Kant, Supreme Court Judges B V Nagarathna and Aravind Kumar and Chief Justice of High Court of Karnataka Vibhu Bakhru were among those present.
The CM said, "We stand today at a defining juncture where law and technology are no longer separate domains, but interconnected forces shaping governance, rights, and the very nature of justice itself."
"Artificial Intelligence is emerging as a transformative force that challenges how we interpret evidence, how we understand facts, and how decisions are arrived at. It offers immense promise, aiding faster legal research, improved case management, and the possibility of reducing pendency through intelligent systems," he said.
"Yet, it also raises profound concerns. Algorithmic bias can undermine the guarantee of equality before law. Opaque systems may weaken the doctrine of reasoned decisions, which lies at the heart of our judicial process," he added.
Siddaramaiah said, Judicial independence, which is the cornerstone of our democracy, must be preserved not only from external pressures but also from subtle technological dependence.
"The authority of a judge must never be overshadowed by the authority of an algorithm," he said.
Pointing out that the emergence of AI-generated evidence presents new challenges for our legal system, the CM said, Deepfakes, synthetic data, and machine-generated content compel us to revisit established doctrines relating to admissibility, burden of proof, and authenticity.
"The courts will increasingly be called upon to determine what constitutes reliable evidence in a digital age. In doing so, we must ensure that truth remains grounded in verifiability and integrity, not merely in technological sophistication," he said.
Hoping that the judiciary will play a defining role in shaping the regulatory framework for artificial intelligence in India, he further said, "through well-established constitutional doctrines such as due process, proportionality, and the right to privacy, our courts will determine the contours within which AI must operate."
"The judiciary, therefore, is not only a user of technology but also the ethical compass that will guide its deployment in society," he added.
Noting that technology also offers meaningful opportunities to strengthen judicial processes, Siddaramaiah said, AI-assisted legal research may democratise access to precedents and reduce disparities in legal knowledge.
Siddaramaiah also said that blockchain technology holds promise in ensuring secure, tamper-proof judicial records. Stating that the intelligent case management systems can streamline court functioning and reduce delays, he said, "However, these innovations must be adopted with care, ensuring that efficiency does not come at the cost of fairness."
"In this transformation, the capacity of our judicial institutions becomes critical. Judges of the future must be equipped not only with legal acumen but also with a clear understanding of technological systems," he added.
Stating that the question is how artificial intelligence intersects with the fundamental principles of equality and social justice, the CM said, if not carefully designed and regulated, AI systems can replicate and even amplify existing social inequalities.
No algorithm can replace the human capacity for empathy, the wisdom that comes from lived experience, or the moral reasoning that defines judicial decision-making, he said, "Technology can assist, but it cannot replace the human conscience that lies at the heart of justice."
Siddaramaiah said, the Government of Karnataka remains committed to building robust judicial infrastructure, facilitating digital transformation, and creating an ecosystem where innovation and justice can progress together.
