CURRENT AFFAIRS | 26 APRIL 2026
CLAT GK + Defence Policy and Indigenisation
On 25 April 2026, DRDO Chairman Dr Samir V Kamat unveiled two indigenous Advanced Armoured Platforms — one tracked, one wheeled — at the Vehicles Research & Development Establishment (VRDE) in Ahilyanagar (formerly Ahmednagar), Maharashtra. Designed to meet the emerging operational requirements of the Indian Armed Forces, the platforms reinforce the Atmanirbhar Bharat in defence push and feed into the Future Ready Combat Vehicle (FRCV) project meant to replace the ageing T-72 fleet from the late 2020s. With SIPRI 2025 ranking India the 4th largest military spender globally, indigenisation through DRDO labs and the positive-indigenisation lists has become a strategic and constitutional imperative under Article 51 (DPSP) and the Article 246 Union List entries on defence.
Constitutional / Legal Framework
- DRDO — Defence Research and Development Organisation; established 1958; functions under the Department of Defence Research & Development (DDR&D), Ministry of Defence.
- VRDE Ahilyanagar — Vehicles Research & Development Establishment; one of DRDO’s 50+ labs; mandate: military vehicle design, mobility, armour.
- Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020 — replaced DPP 2016; categories include Buy (Indian-IDDM), Buy (Indian), Buy & Make (Indian), Buy & Make, Buy (Global) — IDDM gets highest priority.
- Strategic Partnership Model, 2017 — selected Indian private entities partner foreign OEMs in 4 segments: fighter aircraft, helicopters, submarines, AFVs/MBTs.
- Positive Indigenisation Lists — successive Ministry of Defence lists (since 2020) bar import of specified items, mandating indigenous procurement after specified embargo dates.
- Article 51, DPSP — promotion of international peace and security; balances defence preparedness with peaceful resolution norms.
- Union List (Schedule VII, List I) — Entries 1 (Defence of India), 2 (Armed Forces), 7 (Munitions), 41 (Trade with foreign countries) anchor Centre’s exclusive defence competence.
- FRCV (Future Ready Combat Vehicle) — Indian Army project for ~1,770 next-gen MBTs to replace T-72; AON granted 2021.
- Indigenous milestones — Arjun MBT (CVRDE Avadi), K-9 Vajra-T (L&T-Hanwha), Tejas LCA (HAL), Pinaka MBRL (ARDE/DRDO).
Why This Matters for CLAT 2027
Defence is a high-yield CLAT GK area. Expect MCQs on DRDO’s parent Ministry, the year of DAP (2020), the SIPRI 2025 ranking, and the Article 246 + 7th Schedule defence anchoring. A Legal Reasoning passage may build on Article 51 (peace) vs Article 355 (Union duty to protect States) tension. Track the difference between DRDO (R&D), DPSUs (production — HAL, BEL, BEML, MIDHANI), OFB-successor entities (7 PSUs created in 2021) and private players under SP Model. Bonus: the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan announcement (May 2020) and FDI in defence — 74% automatic, up to 100% via government route (case-to-case for state-of-the-art tech).
Key Facts at a Glance
| Date | 25 April 2026 |
| Unveiling officer | Dr Samir V Kamat, DRDO Chairman |
| Platforms | Advanced Armoured Platforms — Tracked + Wheeled |
| Designed by | VRDE (Vehicles R&D Establishment) |
| Location | Ahilyanagar (formerly Ahmednagar), Maharashtra |
| DRDO established | 1958 |
| Parent Ministry | Ministry of Defence (DDR&D) |
| Acquisition Policy | Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020 |
| India’s military rank | 4th largest spender (SIPRI 2025) |
| Linked project | Future Ready Combat Vehicle (FRCV) — T-72 replacement |
Mnemonic / Memory Hook
“DRDO-VRDE” — D(efence) R(esearch) D(evelopment) O(rg) builds, V(ehicles) R(esearch) D(evelopment) E(stab) does mobility; born 1958, parent MoD via DDR&D. For procurement priority recall “IDDM > I > IM > BM > G” = Indian-IDDM is the gold standard under DAP 2020. India’s defence rank: “SIPRI-4” = 4th largest spender (after US, China, Russia in SIPRI 2025).
Test Yourself — 10 MCQs
Practice Quiz — 10 CLAT-Style Questions
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