The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India, in Report No. 28 of 2025 tabled in Parliament on December 18, flagged critical lapses in the Indian Army’s emergency procurements, revealing 72% of fast-track contracts—examined from November 2020-August 2021 post-Galwan clashes and under EP-1 to EP-5—faced delays up to 18 months, with only 28% delivered within a year. Key issues included procedural gaps at Army Headquarters, unclear delay reporting to the Defence Acquisition Council chaired by Rajnath Singh, and unauthorised regularisation of deviations, undermining waivers granted in July 2020 for urgent needs amid China tensions. From an Indian strategic lens, these delays post-Operation Sindoor expose vulnerabilities in Aatmanirbhar Bharat, risking operational readiness on borders and eroding deterrence against adversarial threats.