Standing Committee on Defence (India)

The functions of the committee are stated as below :

• To consider the Demands for Grants of the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and make reports on the same which are to be tabled in both the houses.
• To examine such bills pertaining to the MOD as are referred to the Committee by the Speaker, Lok Sabha or the Chairman, Rajya Sabha.
• To consider annual report of the MOD.
• To consider national basic long-term policy documents presented to the Houses, if referred to the Committee by the Speaker, Lok Sabha or the Chairman, Rajya Sabha.

The Standing Committees shall not consider the matters of day-to-day administration of the department.

After the general discussion on the Budget in the House is over, the Lok Sabha is adjourned for a fixed period. The Committee considers the Demands for Grants of the Ministry of Defence under its jurisdiction during the aforesaid period and present/lay reports. The Report on Demands for Grants does not suggest anything of the nature of cut motions. The Demands for Grants are considered by the House in the light of the Reports of the Committee

The Committee considers only such Bills introduced in either of the Houses as are referred to it by the Speaker, Lok Sabha or the Chairman, Rajya Sabha as the case may be. The Committee considers the general principles and clauses of the Bills referred to it and makes Reports thereon within the given time.

The $8.9 billion deal for the purchase of 36 Rafale aircraft from France was delayed due to the Agusta Westland bribery scandal and a cautious stance taken by the government of India. The committee commented on the delay saying - "The committee are unhappy to note that although a considerable time has elapsed, negotiations with France on Rafale (fighter aircraft) could not be taken to a logical end".[4]

“The committee takes serious view of the fact that our squadron strength is already short of what has been authorized by the Government and moreover, insufficiency in number of available pilots in the Air Force further deteriorates our operational capabilities,” said the parliament panel headed by Major General (retd.) B.C Khanduri.

After initial reluctance, the army briefed members of the SCOD during October 2016. One of the members said - “A brief statement was made by the army on the sensitive issue. But no questions were taken”. However, this statement was countered by the statement issued by minority members MP Ambika Soni and MP Madhusudhan Mistry - “The decision not to brief the committee over surgical strikes under the garb of secrecy only amounts to ‘lack of confidence’ in the Members of Parliament, who are in the committee and who are bound by the oath of secrecy. This position is absolutely unacceptable to us".[5]

During April of 2015, SCOD highlighted for the first time the disturbing state of defence.[6][7] In its seventh and eighth report on Demands of Grants, the SCOD said that while the sanctioned strength was 42, Indian Air Force at present has 35 active squadrons - "With regard to this, representatives of air force deposed before the committee that a drawdown has already begun and, by 2022, air force will have around just 25 squadrons, thereby losing even the slight edge over rival neighbouring nation" , the panel additionally said in the same report, that IAF would need 45 squadrons to counter "two front collusive threat".[8]

During March 2018 deposition of Vice Chief of Army Staff Sarath Chand, it was stated that - "Funds allocated is insufficient and the army is finding it difficult to even stock arms, ammunition, spares for 10 day intensive war. All the three services are expected to be prepared for at least 10 days of intense battle."[9][10] Following this testimony, the defence minister, Ms. Nirmala Sitharam said that Ministry of Defence (MOD) has been trying to shore up all the shortages however the forces would have to prioritize and rationalize.[11] However the SCOD recommended and the government via the Ministry of Defence (MOD) followed up eventually by increasing the financial powers of all three vice chiefs up to ₹500 crore (equivalent to ₹669 crore or US$84 million in 2023) [12]