Toys for Boys

With a couple of weeks to go before the Union Budget, the armed forces have unveiled an elaborate shopping list.

The rationale for the ever increasing budget for sophisticated weaponry is our hostile neighbors in the form of Pakistan and China.

New Delhi needs to realize that engaging in a pointless arms race with Pakistan serves little purpose. So long as Pakistan remains under authoritarian rule, its defense budget will remain disproportionately high. India enjoys a considerable edge over Pakistan by dint of the sheer size of its armed forces. As for China, New Delhi is much better off trying to match Beijing's economic growth than its military might.

However, the best argument for pulling out of an arms race is that social development and economic growth are the best defense for any nation. Economists such as Amartya Sen have repeatedly stressed that rising military expenditure imposes substantial opportunity costs on government priorities like health and education. -- The Times of India, New Delhi