
New Delhi: Defence Accounts Department (DAD) celebrated its 279th Annual Day on October 1, attended by India’s Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh, in the DRDO Bhawan, New Delhi.
The celebration focused on the digital modernization of financial administration within the Ministry of Defence and the Defence Forces. During the programme, Singh launched several technology initiatives, including the integration of the Indian Army Financial Information System (IAFIS) with DAD’s SAKSHAM platform.
The Defence Minister also launched the revamped National Compilation System (NCS) for the Ministry of Defence and the Payment Routing and Integrated System Management (PRISM) platform, which will facilitate Treasury-Single Account Payments within the ministry.
Several publications were released during the event, including the Comprehensive Statistical Handbook on Defence Expenditure (COSHE) 2026, DAD’s Hindi magazine Raksha Lekha Bharati and the Market Intelligence Report 2025-26.
A short film highlighting SPARSH (System for Pension Administration (Raksha)), the defence pension management system, was also released on the occasion.
The Raksha Mantri Award for Excellence 2026 was awarded to officials and staff working in the department for their involvement in various projects of the Ministry of Defence and DAD.
DAD has a long history dating back to 1747, when the position of Military Pay Master was created. Later on, the department has extended its scope of activities to include accounting, internal auditing, financial advice, and defence pension administration.
DAD has changed the system of its services according to new needs of the armed forces and the Ministry of Defence.



