According to reports, in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha, the Minister of State for Defence Jitendra Singh said the target for Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) is fixed by the Defence Ministry every year.
OFB as a whole has met the targets for the year 2010-11 and 2011- 2012.
For the year 2009-10, the budgeted estimates were subsequently revised during the year to Rs. 8720 Crores against which the achievement was Rs. 8715 Crores. Vehicle Factory Jabalpur has exceeded the target in 2009-10 while the achievement against the target for the years 2010-11 and 2011-12 was 88% and 96% respectively. He pointed out that indigenization is a thrust area in OFB and it is sought to be achieved through a number of measures likes faster technology absorption, development of upgrades on its own, expansion of indigenous vender base, in-house R&D to develop substitute to imports etc.
Ordnance Factories are primarily mandated to meet the demand of the Defence Forces and export opportunities are explored only after meeting the requirement of the Defence Forces; which in the recent past has gone up substantially. The minister said that in order to meet the enhanced requirement of the Armed Forces not only the existing capacity is being utilized to the maximum extent but a number of capacity augmentation projects have also been taken up in OFB.1

In another development, according to reports, Armed Forces Medical Research Committee (AFMRC) approved a pilot project (2012-2014) titled "Development of Protocol for DNA Profiling (Identification) and Repository of Personnel of Armed Forces". This pilot project is in progress at Armed Forces Medical College, Pune. The objectives of the project are to devise a protocol for collection, preservation and transportation of blood samples of the soldiers, maintain absolute accuracy in personal information and tagging of specimen and to devise protocol for procedure for identifying service personnel from any fragment of body tissue. Army has a well established procedure / system for identification of a soldier in the forward / battle zone. A solder is either part of a sub unit (section, platoon etc.) deployed on the border and every one recognizes him due to his physical attributes, or he moves out with a companion. Never a soldier is left alone in these areas. In addition every personnel has two metallic discs, one tied to his neck and other on the wrist. These discs have his Army Number engraved for identification. This information was given by Defence Minister Shri AK Antony in a written reply to Shri Anurag Singh Thakurin Lok Sabha on April 22. 2

• 1. “Ordnance Factories,” PIB, April 22, 2013, at http://pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=94890
• 2. “DNA Profiling of Indian Soldiers,” PIB, April 22, 2013, at http://pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=94888