India key scientific and technological milestones since independence

BY A STAFF REPORTER: India is globally recognized for its scientific rigor and potential. After all, it is the land of Ayurveda, the land of climate sensitivity demonstrated by the Chipko movement in the 1970s, where successful nuclear tests like Pokhran-2 were carried out, where science maestro C V Raman (Nobel Prize in Physics 1930) and Anna Mani were born. 

India was able to gain momentum in scientific discovery after independence. Plans for the coming years to restore the reign of democracy and restore our prosperity encouraged people to work towards scientific and technological advances. In all these years, India has witnessed a huge shift in these areas of discovery, strategically combining its expertise and resources.

Let's take a look back at India's success in post-independence science and technology and the progress we are making. 

1947 - 1957

Establish a five-year plan prioritizing scientific research:

• The Planning Commission of India was established in 1950 with the aim of conceptualising and planning the steps taken in important areas such as agriculture, science, infrastructure and education. The first draft plan was presented in July 1951 and contained a dedicated chapter on 'scientific and industrial research'. As the first plan, it prioritizes laying the foundation of scientific research in the country and mainly focuses on initiatives to build or increase national laboratories and research centers.

• It recognizes eleven research institutes at the national level and emphasizes their importance for the future development of the country. These include the National Physical Laboratory (Delhi), the National Chemical Laboratory (Pune, Maharashtra) and the Central Electrochemical Research Institute (Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu).
• Some of these institutions had only nucleus units and needed more investment to expand them. The plan provided for the complete installation of buildings and necessary equipment to enable laboratories to function fully.
• It is also proposed to establish three new institutions: the Radio and Electronics Research Institute; Mechanical Engineering Research Institute; Central Salt Research Station.

1957 - 1967

Focus on agricultural research and the rise of the 'Green Revolution':

After independence, restoring control of agricultural production was a task. There was a lack of research on crop yield potential, irrigation systems, effective fertilizers, pesticides, power sources, agricultural equipment across the country. The government has given priority to scientific research for the advancement of agriculture. This led to the Green Revolution in this decade. As a result, India's agricultural economy, which was on the verge of collapse in 1947, was able to gradually improve. This revolution made us self-reliant, as we had crossed the distance from food grain importers to surplus production.

1967 - 1977

Aryabhatta - India's first satellite:

India's contribution to space science is immense. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) was established in 1969 to serve as India's national space agency. The first Indian satellite was 'Aryabhatta', which was designed and manufactured in India and launched on April 19, 1975. ISRO developed Aryabhatta to perform X-ray astronomy, astronomy and solar physics.

1977 - 1987

DNA fingerprinting:

DNA fingerprinting in India came into existence in 1988 when scientists from the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CSIR-CCMB) developed the technique and made it available for use.

1997 - 2007

Pokhran-II nuclear test:

On May 11, 1998, India successfully test-fired five underground nuclear bombs in Pokhran, Rajasthan – the test was titled 'Pokhran-2'. To facilitate the technological achievements of an emerging democracy, our then Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee called this day 'National Technology Day'. It is celebrated every year.   

2007 - 2017

Chandrayaan-1 mission to the moon: 

Chandrayaan-1 was launched from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh on October 22, 2008. The spacecraft rotated around the moon to provide chemical, photo geological and mineral mapping to ISRO.

Polio-free India: 

In 1994, India accounted for about 60% of the global polio cases. A dedicated campaign by the government to vaccinate every child has enabled us to be polio-free in two decades. India received the 'polio free' certification from the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 27, 2014.

The vaccination drive was successful due to strong policies, committed healthcare professionals, front lines and community workers. A major part of the campaign was to raise awareness about the education, safety and benefits of the vaccine seekers in the backward and rural areas of the country.

Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) (also known as Mangalyaan) 

This is a historic mission for India – its first interplanetary mission. The MOM has identified India's place in the field of space exploration. Launched on November 5, 2013, MOM studies Murray's topography, morphology, mineralogy, and atmosphere. In addition to scientific advances, MOM is also praised for its cost effectiveness.

Encouraging start-ups: 

The government launched the 'Startup India' programme on 16 January 2016 to develop an ecosystem to encourage domestic scientific, technological and innovative development in India. Since then, the number of Indian startups has increased and is growing. As of July 2021, there are more than 52,000 start-ups in the country, making India one of the largest start-up ecosystems in the world. These start-ups have created more than 5 lakh jobs. The top ten sectors for start-ups in India are IT services, healthcare and life sciences, education, professional and commercial services, food and beverages, agriculture, finance technology, technology hardware, construction and green technology.

2017-2022

ISRO's Gaganyaan programme: 

The Gaganyaan program is designed to demonstrate human spaceflight in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), (according to NASA, LEO is considered an area of Earth's orbit that is close enough to Earth for convenient transportation, communication, observation, and resupply; this is the area where the 'International Space Station' currently orbits). The programme is expected to set the stage for efficient and effective Indian human space exploration in the future. Two unmanned missions and one unmanned mission have been approved by the government under the Gaganyaan programme. In his 2020 'Mann Ki Baat' programme, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his views on the Gaganyaan programme, saying it was the country's first step towards establishing a sustainable Indian human space exploration programme. The mission is expected to give India the opportunity to collaborate with global space station development while creating jobs for the scientifically enriched young population.

COVID-19 Vaccine Research and Immunization Campaign: 

India was at the forefront of vaccine development research, eventually becoming the largest manufacturer and exporter of Covid-19 vaccines. By the end of 2021, we have delivered more than 70 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to more than 90 countries. Moreover, the scale of India's vaccination drive is unprecedented. More than 170 crore vaccination doses have been administered till February 2022. As we continue to evolve and innovate, the goal is to ensure global recognition and exposure, as well as to maintain the pace of development in science and technology.

2023- till present

Chandrayaan-3 mission: 

Chandrayaan-3 was launched from Sriharikota at 2.35 pm on July 14. Chandrayaan-3 entered the moon's orbit this evening after 22 days. Chandrayaan-3 will change the orbit of the moon five times in a row. The primary goal of this vehicle is to reach a circular orbit of 100 kilometers from the lunar surface. The lander will then be separated from the propulsion module on August 17. That's the big test. If all goes well, lander Vikram will land on the south pole of the moon on August 23 afternoon.