India to spend 75 pc of defence capital outlay for procurement from domestic firms: Rajnath
Bengaluru (PTI): In a significant announcement, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday said the government will spend 75 per cent of the total defence capital outlay for procurement from domestic defence manufacturers from 2023-24.
The decision will mean setting aside of around Rs 100,000 crore for procurement of military platforms and equipment from the Indian manufacturers, he said.
Singh made the announcement at an event where several agreements and technology transfer agreements were firmed up among large number of defence companies which participated in Aero India 2023.
"It is a very significant decision which will further strengthen the domestic defence manufacturing sector," Singh said.
He also said that Aero India 2023 has shown that the Indian defence sector is ready to march ahead along with top global defence companies.
The MoUs and technology transfer agreements signed during Aero India will facilitate a new beginning for defence manufacturing in India, he said.
A new chapter in India's aerospace sector has begun today, he said referring to the agreements.
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It's Laloo Prasad Yadav vs Rohini Acharya in Bihar's Saran LS seat
Patna (PTI): RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav's daughter Rohini Acharya's bid to reclaim the Saran Lok Sabha seat, once represented by the socialist leader, for the party is being challenged by a namesake of her father.
Contestant Laloo Prasad Yadav, a local farmer from Bihar's Saran district, the 'karmabhoomi' of his famous namesake, has a penchant for contesting elections.
This time, he filed his nomination papers as a candidate of the Rashtriya Jansambhavna Party (RJP) for Saran Lok Sabha seat on April 26.
Earlier, Laloo Prasad Yadav had filed his nominations for 2022 Presidential polls as well. He had also filed his nomination papers for the 2017 Presidential polls, which was a contest between the then Bihar Governor Ram Nath Kovind, who went on to win, and former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, who was a native of the soil.
However, his papers got rejected in the 2017 Presidential polls since those were not endorsed by an adequate number of proposers.
"I have been contesting Lok Sabha polls from Saran constituency for the last several terms. I had contested against former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi as well. This time, I am contesting against her daughter Rohini Acharya," Laloo Prasad Yadav told PTI over the phone.
He also exuded of "winning the election by a comfortable margin".
"I engage in agriculture for a living and also do social work. I keep trying my luck, from panchayat to Presidential polls. I am leaving no stone unturned to win this election... people of Saran are with me," Yadav said.
When asked about his opponents calling him 'dharti pakad' (one who clings on to the earth), a term associated with those who like to contest polls for the sake of thrill and publicity, and 'vote katwa' (one who divides votes), Yadav said, "I don't care about all these labels. They are my opponents and they will say such things. I contest polls only for the sake of my electorate in Saran."
According to the affidavit filed by the RJP candidate, Yadav has Rs 5 lakh cash in hand whereas his wife has 2 lakh cash. He owns movable assets worth Rs 17.60 lakh and his wife owns movable assets worth Rs 5.20 lakh.
