Defence Accounts Department to Celebrate 279th Annual Day on October 1; Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to Launch IT Initiatives

The Defence Accounts Department (DAD) will celebrate its 279th Annual Day on October 1, 2026, in New Delhi. The main event will be held at the Dr. D.S. Kothari Auditorium of the DRDO Bhawan, with Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh in attendance.

During the ceremony, the Defence Minister will launch several significant IT initiatives of the department. These include the integration of the Indian Army Financial Information System (IAFIS) with the department's Saksham platform, the revised National Compilation System (NCS) for the Ministry of Defence, and the Payment Routing and Integrated System Management (PRISM) platform to initiate Treasury-Single Account payments.

Additionally, the Defence Minister will release several publications, including the Comprehensive Statistical Handbook on Defence Expenditure (COSHE) 2026, the department's in-house Hindi magazine 'Raksha Lekha Bharti', and the Market Intelligence Report 2025-2026. A short film titled 'SPARSH' (System for Pension Administration (Defence)), based on the defence pension system, will also be released on this occasion.

During the program, the 'Defence Minister's Award for Excellence 2026' will be presented to officers and employees for their outstanding performance and contributions to the successful implementation of key initiatives by the Ministry of Defence and the DAD.

It is noteworthy that the Defence Accounts Department was established in 1747 with the appointment of the Military Pay Master. Since then, the department has continued to evolve in accordance with the changing needs of the defence forces and the Ministry of Defence. The DAD has provided critical services in the fields of internal audit, accounting, financial advice, and defence pension management.