DGQA to take up modernisation measures

New Delhi, Sep 26 (UNI) A Rs 2.32 crore automation plan to link all Technical Directorates, Administrative Directorates and Units of Research and Statistics Directorates to provide online Quality Assurance Services to users and production agencies in the Indian Army is in the final stages.

Disclosing this here today, DGQA (Directorate General Quality Assurance) Director General Lt Gen G Sridhran said the testing capabilities of various laboratories of DGQA were being strengthened.

He said a Predictive Technology Lab to ascertain the remaining shelf life of ammunition was being established at the Controller of Quality Assurance (Armaments), Pune.

He also informed that testing facilities of night vision devices at the Controller Quality Assurance (Instruments), Dehradun were being strengthened.

Gen Sridharan further informed that DGQA had entered into a Reciprocal Government Quality Assurance (RGQA) agreement with various countries. Similar agreements were in the offing with other countries. This would be beneficial for DGQA to align its working with prevalent international Quality Assurance practices.

Considerable savings have been achieved by revising proof schedules thereby cutting down proof expenditure. A Committee has also been constituted to further reduce expenditure on proof.

DGQA, which celebrates its Raising Day tomorrow, traces its roots to the Inspectorate of Armaments established at the Ammunition Factory, Kirkee in 1869. With the transformation in portfolio of Weapons and Equipments, the Organisation has undergone a number of changes over the decades. The existing semblance of the Organisation structure dates back to September 27, 1957 when the Controller General of Defence Production was raised under Maj Gen Pratap Narain.

DGQA is a multi-disciplinary, multi-location service provider with multi-technology orientation. The organisation is a very important component of the Defence Equipment Management as it provides total QA cover for all types of arms, ammunition, equipment and stores required by the Armed Forces.

DGQA is responsible for quality assurance of defence stores produced by Ordnance Factories and Public and private sector units as also procured through import. It initiates all actions necessary to ensure that the Armed Forces get the entire range of arms, ammunition, equipment and stores of the desired quality so as to enhance combat efficiency and effectiveness of the fighting forces.

DGQA provides quality assurance services not only to the Army but also marine engineering, weapon sensors and support systems of the Navy. The services are also extended to the Indian Air Force for common user items.

The other customers of DGQA Quality Assurance Services are suppliers, namely the Ordnance Factories, DPSU and private sector units. DGQA carries out quality assurance activities for foreign vendors under Reciprocal Government Quality Agreements. It has skilled manpower and wide network of laboratories having NABL accreditation to carry out its task effectively. It has its own dedicated Proof Ranges for carrying out proof of armament, stores manufactured indigenously as well as through import.

The organisation has kept itself abreast with emerging technologies having potential for its adoption in Military Equipment and contemporary Quality Management Systems to ensure that one of the finest Armies of the world gets the best quality assured equipments. The organisation also provides its services for entire life cycle of ammunition and equipment.

UNI