Now Army Ordnance Corps, EME To Come Directly Under CDS Led Department of Military Affairs

Mubarak Ansari

Pune, November 21, 2020: Now the Indian Army’s Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME) and Army Ordnance Corps will come under the direct control of the Department of Military Affairs (DMA) headed by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Gen Bipin Rawat. 

The Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers is an arms and service branch of the Indian Army. The Corps has varying responsibilities related to the design, development, trial, inspection and refit of weapon systems and equipment. 

The AOC’s main responsibility is to provide material and logistics support to the Indian Army and, if required, to the Navy and Air Force during war and peace. The inventory Army Ordnance Corps is responsible ranges from clothing (e.g. coats, sleeping bags, gloves, goggles, etc.) to vehicles, equipment and munitions (e.g. bullets, artillery shells, missiles, etc.).

Now the “establishment and administrative matters of Army Ordnance Corps and Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME) pertaining to MGO branch and their lower formations including Ordnance Depots and Repair Workshops”, have been allocated to the DMA.

Earlier, they were part of the Department of Defence (DoD) under the Ministry of Defence.

“This is a step towards the integration of the forces and it will also streamline procurement and supply of various things. Corps of Signals, EME should also be merged with branches of Navy and Air Force”, an official said.

Department of Military Affairs (DMA) with Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) as Secretary was created in January this year under the Ministry of Defence to facilitate optimal utilization of resources and promote jointness among the three Services. The following subjects were allocated to DMA:

1. The Armed Forces of the Union, namely, Army, Navy and Air Force.
2. Integrated Headquarters of the Ministry of Defence comprising of Army Headquarters, Naval Headquarters, Air Headquarters and Defence Staff Headquarters.
3. The Territorial Army.
4. Works relating to Army, Navy and Air Force.
5. Procurement exclusive to the Services except for capital acquisitions, as per prevalent rules and procedures.
6. Promoting jointness in procurement, training and staffing for the Services through joint planning and integration of their requirements.
7. Facilitation of restructuring of Military Commands for optimal utilisation of resources by bringing about jointness in operations, including through the establishment of joint / theatre commands.
8. Promoting the use of indigenous equipment by the Services. 

Work of 23 sections along with around 160 Civilian officers and staff have been transferred from the Department of Defence (DoD) to DMA.