AIR Spotlight: National Technology Day

AIR Spotlight is an insightful program featured daily on the All India Radio News on air. In this program, many eminent panellists discuss issues of importance which can be quite helpful in IAS exam preparation.

This article is about the discussion on: ‘National Technology Day, India’s Science and Technological Advancements’.

Participants:

• Dhiman Basu: Science & Technology Expert
• S. Rangabhashiam: AIR Correspondent

Context – Every year on 11th May, National Technology Day is celebrated in honour of India’s scientists and their achievements. National Technology Day is a reminder to the world about India’s growing power in the field of science and technology, particularly in the development of nuclear technology. National Technology Day, 2023 was celebrated with the theme, ‘School to Startups – Igniting Young Minds to Innovate’.

Importance of National Technology Day

National Technology Day is celebrated every year to commemorate India’s successful nuclear tests that were conducted on 11th May 1998 at Pokhran, Rajasthan. It is a day to celebrate the achievements of Indian scientists and engineers who have contributed to the growth of the nation. Schools, colleges and universities organise workshops, seminars, and events to inspire and motivate students to take an interest in science and technology and contribute to society.

• Under the leadership of then Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, India conducted a series of five nuclear bomb tests, popularly known as Pokhran II, at the Indian army’s Pokhran Test Range in May 1998. Following the success of Pokhran II, the government declared 11th May as ‘National Technology Day’. The first nuclear test was conducted in May 1974. These tests helped India to enter the guarded club of countries with the capability to deploy nuclear weapons.

National Technology Day, 2023

The theme for this year’s National Technology Day was ‘School to Startups-Igniting Young Minds to Innovate’. On 11th May, 2023 Shri Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone and dedicated to the nation a number of projects related to science and technology worth Rs 5800 crore. Science and technology open up new avenues for the development of the nation.

LIGO- India (Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory-India)

The LIGO facility involves the construction of two 4-km-long vacuum chambers in an L-shape along with other structures on nearly 600 acres of land in the Hingoli district, about 450 km east of Mumbai. The facility is set to become operational by 2030. LIGO-India is a planned Gravitational-Wave Observatory that will be located in India as part of the worldwide network. The observatory is one of the Rs 5,800 crore worth of projects.

• The vacuum tunnels will house sophisticated and highly sensitive sensors to pick up the feeble signals emanating from violent cosmic events like the merger of black holes and neutron stars taking place in the distant universe.

• LIGO-India is a momentous milestone and is a cutting-edge scientific technology on Indian soil. Two existing LIGO observatories in the United States detected gravitational waves for the first time in 2015, a feat that was acknowledged with the Nobel Prize two years later. Since then, two more similar detectors have come onboard, one in Italy and the other in Japan. LIGO India would be the fifth node of this network.

India is evolving as one of the global leaders in the field of Science & Technology

India is taking big strides in scientific research in sectors like space, health, manufacturing, agriculture and nuclear power. India is among the most attractive investment destinations for technology transactions in the world. 

• In space exploration with its moon missions and Satellite PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle), India has climbed up and is one of the top nations for space research globally.
• Programs such as the Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE) program have accelerated the growth of quality scientists post-2000.
• The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) plays a crucial role in supporting not only industrial R&D but also startups and MSMEs.
• The Department of Science and Technology (DST) is India’s nodal agency for promoting science and technology. It fosters innovation and entrepreneurship through a number of programmes.

Conclusion – Science and Technology is an important factor for the growth and development of a nation. Science and technology are intimately connected with development and share a symbiotic relationship. With the introduction of modern gadgets, life has become easy and this is possible only because of implementing science and technology together. There is an enormous increase in the number of research and discoveries, however, not all the researches see the light of day and are commercialised. There is a need to develop a greater linkage between industry and research so that the benefits of research are reaped by the common man.

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