Indian Ministry of Defence deals with the defence and protection of the country as well as the maintenance of the armed forces. The responsibility of the country`s defence lies with the Indian Cabinet and within the Cabinet is the Ministry of Defence which looks into the Defence policies of the country and ensures the protection of the land. It is the Ministry of Defence which forms the defence policies of the land and guides the armed personnel of the country to bring about maximum protection of the country. The principal task of the Defence Ministry is to obtain policy directions of the Government on all defence and security related matters. It also guides the government regarding the implementation of those policies. It is necessary that the Ministry of Defence implements the defence policies within the allocated resources by the government.

History of Indian Ministry of Defence
A military department was set up in the year 1776 under the British East India Company in Kolkata with the main function of sifting and recording orders relating to the Army issued by various Departments of the Government of East India Company. In the initial years the Military Department functioned as a part of the Public Department and maintained a few defence personnel. In the year 1895 with the help of the Charter the armies of different Presidencies were united into a single army and it was known as the Indian Army. During that time the supreme authority of the Army was vested with the Governor-General in Council. In the year 1906 the Military Department was abolished and it was replaced by two separate departments, namely, the Army Department and the Military Supply Department. Again in 1909 the Military Supply Department was abolished and the functions of the Department were taken over by the Army Department. In 1938 the Army Department was redesigned as the Defence Department. And finally in 1947, the independence year of the Indian subcontinent the Army Department was converted to the Ministry of Defence.

Organisation of Ministry of Defence
There are four Departments in the Ministry of Defence. They are Department of Defence (DOD), Department of Defence Production (DDP), Department of Defence Research & Development (DDR&D) and Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare and also Finance Division. The head of the Defence Department is the Defence Secretary. He is responsible for co-ordinating the activities of the four departments of defence.

Functions of Ministry of Defence
The main function of the Defence Ministry is to frame policies on defence and security-related issues. The Ministry also communicates the various policies to the various departments necessary. An important factor which the Ministry of Defence follows in framing its policies is that all planning should be done within the framework of the resources which have been allocated by the Central Government.