The Defence Ministry, distinct from other ministries, has its own separate finance section, almost independent of the Finance Ministry. As they say, Bade miya to bade miya, chhote miya to subhan allah. They are far more ferocious in defending the tax-payers' naya paisa than the rest of the government apparatus put together. I was present at a high-level meeting between the Air Force (two distinguished Air Commodores, one of whom had inducted the Mirages into the service, and flown the first flight all the way across from France) and two slimy little safari-suited, pan-chewing, greasy haired reptiles at Deputy Secretary and Section Head level, where the subject of discussion was the acquisition of four (4, that's 1, 2, 3 and 4) devices of a type readily available in degraded non-Mil Spec form in any Delhi electronics market. After fortyfive minutes of innuendo and sneer, more or less implying that the air force guys were on the take, the babus condescendingly agreed to clear two (2, that's 1,2). BUT the file would have to be moved afresh.