Context

Ministry of Defence has launched ‘Mission Raksha Gyan Shakti (RGS)’, an initiative to boost the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) culture in indigenous defence industry.

About

Background

• The initiative has been launched in response to the achievements that Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Defence Public Sector Undertaking (DPSUs) and Ordinance Factories (OFs) have made in terms of successful filing of IPR applications in the past few decades.
• Department of Defence created an IP Facilitation Cell in 2018 which work to achieve ambitious targets of training 10,000 personnel of OFs and DPSU on IPR and to facilitate filing of at least 1,000 new IPR applications.

What is Raksha Gyan Shakti?

• As part of the ongoing initiatives to enhance self-reliance in defence, in terms of innovation and production, the Department of Defence Production has instituted a new framework titled ‘Mission Raksha GyanShakti’.
• The framework will streamline the Intellectual Property initiatives in the defence sector.

What is the aim of RGS?

• The initiative aspires to transform the defence procurement system by changing the culture of seeking Transfer of Technology (ToT) from foreign sources to generate intellectual property, and achieve self- reliance in Defence sector.

Who will be the implementing agency of RGS?

• Directorate General of Quality Assurance (DGQA) has been entrusted with the responsibility of coordinating and implementing the programme.
  
  

  Directorate General of Quality Assurance (DGQA): It is under Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence. It is provides Quality Assurance (QA) cover for the entire range of Arms, Ammunitions, Equipments and Stores supplied to Armed Forces. Apart from QA activities, the organisation is responsible for import substitution and associates with DRDO in the development projects. It also ensures documentation, codification and standardisation action for minimizing the variety of components /equipments. The other services rendered are promotion of small scale industries, Post procurement services, Defect Investigations and Technical Consultancy to the users, Ministry and the Production Agencies.  Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO): It works under Department of Defence Research and Development of Ministry of Defence. It is mandated to work towards enhancing self-reliance in defence systems and undertakes design & development leading to production of world class weapon systems and equipment in accordance with the expressed needs and the qualitative requirements laid down by the three services. It is working in various areas of military technology which include aeronautics, armaments, combat vehicles, electronics, instrumentation engineering systems, missiles, materials, naval systems, advanced computing, simulation and life sciences.