March 18: Ordnance Factory Day
On March 18, 2020, 219th Ordnance Factories Foundation Day was observed. Every year India observes March 18 as Ordnance Factory Day. The first Ordnance Factory was established in Kolkata in 1801. There are 41 ordnance factories in the country.
History
The history of ordnance factory is directly linked to the British reign of India. The Board of Ordnance Factories that still govern the ordnance factories in the country was established in 1775 at Fort Williams, Kolkata.
There were 18 ordnance factories before India became independent. The Ordnance Factory Board was established in 1979.
Ordnance Factory Board
The Ordnance Factory Board operates under Ministry of Defence. It is the largest and oldest Government operated defence organization. The Board is always called the fourth arm of defence. It is the 37th largest arms manufacturer in the world.
The Board is responsible for manufacturing small arms, missiles, rocket launchers, chemicals, explosives, mines, grenades, anti-tank warfare, etc.
The revenue generated by the board on behalf of the Indian Government in the year 2017-18 was 2 billion USD.
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Month: Current Affairs - March, 2020