Express News Service
2024 LS pollsBig ministerial reshuffle likely in budget recess
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to reshuffle his council of ministers during the Budget session recess between February 14 and March 12. Sources said it will be a big shakeup, much like the one in July 2021 when he brought in 36 new faces and dropped 12 ministers, including some top names. It is said that over 20 ministers are likely to be replaced. Some of them may be drafted into the party to ramp up the organization for the next year’s Lok Sabha election. The new entrants are likely to be largely from Telangana, Odisha, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. The change in the ministry will also take into account the BJP’s loss of a major ally in Bihar and the gain of new leaders in Punjab. The party’s focus on new geographies will also find a reflection in the reshuffle. In this context, a couple of inductions from Tamil Nadu and Kerala are not ruled out. The BJP’s newly-gained ally in Maharashtra is also likely to be rewarded with ministerial berths. The Prime Minister’s continued focus on West Bengal may see some changes in the contingent from the state. As some ministers are tipped to be redeployed into the party, a big organizational reshuffle is also on the cards in the BJP. The Prime Minister has already ended the suspense over J P Nadda by extending his term till 2024. The team that Modi will put in place through the ministry and party reshuffle will be the one that will take the party into the 2024 Lok Sabha election under the leadership of Modi.
Battle ReadinessArmy may float tender to buy VSHORAD version
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) issued a tender in February last year seeking a development-cum-production partner for the very short-range air defence system called VSHORAD. This system has been developed by the Research Centre Imarat, a lab under DRDO. Top Indian defence manufacturers, including Tata Advance Systems, Bharat Dynamics Ltd, L&T Ltd, Adani Defence Systems and Technologies Ltd, ICOMM Tele Ltd, etc participated in the DRDO tender. Adani and ICOMM emerged winners, with Adani occupying the top place. Sources said that even after a year of issuing the tender, the DRDO is yet to sign a contract with the two shortlisted companies for the development of the VSHORAD prototype. Even after a contract is signed, it would take not less than three to four years to develop the prototype. After that, there would be multiple rounds of development and user trials. The defence acquisition council headed by defence minister Rajnath Singh has, in the meanwhile, approved the budget for the VSHORAD programme. VSHORAD is a shoulder-fired light missile system which can be easily carried and used from any location along the border. With tensions continuing unabated on the northern front, the army is keen on a quick acquisition of this system. It is likely to float a new tender for Indian domestic suppliers for an outright purchase of the VSHORD version. While the DRDO-designed version will be a 100 per cent indigenous system, the army’s new tender is likely to use the procurement route that mandates only 50 per cent local component.
2024 LS polls
Big ministerial reshuffle likely in budget recess
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to reshuffle his council of ministers during the Budget session recess between February 14 and March 12. Sources said it will be a big shakeup, much like the one in July 2021 when he brought in 36 new faces and dropped 12 ministers, including some top names. It is said that over 20 ministers are likely to be replaced. Some of them may be drafted into the party to ramp up the organization for the next year’s Lok Sabha election. The new entrants are likely to be largely from Telangana, Odisha, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. The change in the ministry will also take into account the BJP’s loss of a major ally in Bihar and the gain of new leaders in Punjab. The party’s focus on new geographies will also find a reflection in the reshuffle. In this context, a couple of inductions from Tamil Nadu and Kerala are not ruled out. The BJP’s newly-gained ally in Maharashtra is also likely to be rewarded with ministerial berths. The Prime Minister’s continued focus on West Bengal may see some changes in the contingent from the state. As some ministers are tipped to be redeployed into the party, a big organizational reshuffle is also on the cards in the BJP. The Prime Minister has already ended the suspense over J P Nadda by extending his term till 2024. The team that Modi will put in place through the ministry and party reshuffle will be the one that will take the party into the 2024 Lok Sabha election under the leadership of Modi.
Battle Readiness
Army may float tender to buy VSHORAD version
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) issued a tender in February last year seeking a development-cum-production partner for the very short-range air defence system called VSHORAD. This system has been developed by the Research Centre Imarat, a lab under DRDO. Top Indian defence manufacturers, including Tata Advance Systems, Bharat Dynamics Ltd, L&T Ltd, Adani Defence Systems and Technologies Ltd, ICOMM Tele Ltd, etc participated in the DRDO tender. Adani and ICOMM emerged winners, with Adani occupying the top place. Sources said that even after a year of issuing the tender, the DRDO is yet to sign a contract with the two shortlisted companies for the development of the VSHORAD prototype. Even after a contract is signed, it would take not less than three to four years to develop the prototype. After that, there would be multiple rounds of development and user trials. The defence acquisition council headed by defence minister Rajnath Singh has, in the meanwhile, approved the budget for the VSHORAD programme. VSHORAD is a shoulder-fired light missile system which can be easily carried and used from any location along the border. With tensions continuing unabated on the northern front, the army is keen on a quick acquisition of this system. It is likely to float a new tender for Indian domestic suppliers for an outright purchase of the VSHORD version. While the DRDO-designed version will be a 100 per cent indigenous system, the army’s new tender is likely to use the procurement route that mandates only 50 per cent local component.
