National Technology Day 2023: 25 years of Pokhran Nuclear test, Significance, History; PM Modi launches projects worth Rs 5,800 crore

Produced by: Bhoomika Aggarwal
Designed by: Mohsin Shaikh

National Technology Day in India is celebrated on May 11 every year to commemorate the successful test of the Shakti-I nuclear missile at the Indian Army's Pokhran Test Range in Rajasthan in 1998. The day is also dedicated to the achievements of India's scientific and technological advancements. It was founded by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 1999

National Technology
Day: History

India is celebrating National Technology Day 2023 by highlighting the country's technological achievements and its contribution to the world. Events and activities are being conducted across the country to raise awareness about the importance of technology in our daily lives and its potential to solve global problems

National Technology
Day: Significance

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the National Technology Day function at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi. He along with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh released a commemorative stamp

PM Modi on National Technology Day 2023

PM Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone and dedicated to the nation multiple projects related to scientific and technological advancement in the country, worth more than Rs 5,800 crore

PM Modi announces projects
worth Rs 5,800 crore

The projects for which the foundation stone was laid included Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory-India (LIGO-India) in Hingoli; Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre in Jatni, Odisha; and Platinum Jubilee Block of Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai

Science and Tech
projects launched

PM Modi tweeted a video of the National Technology Day event at Pragati Maidan as he said, “On National Technology Day, we salute the dedication and tenacity of our scientists and those passionate about technology.”

PM Modi’s tweet on
National Technology Day

25 years ago on this day, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee announced that India had conducted three nuclear tests at Pokhran. On May 13, 1998, after two more tests were conducted, he declared India as a nuclear weapon state. Pokhran Test 1 on May 18, 1974, was when India conducted its first successful nuclear bomb test at the army base Pokhran Test Range in Rajasthan

25th anniversary of
Pokhran Nuclear Test 2

Some of the key people involved in the making of India’s first nuclear weapon were Homi Jehangir Bhabha and the then DRDO head Dr APJ Abdul Kalam under the supervision of the then Department of Atomic Energy chairman, R Chidambaram

APJ Abdul Kalam, Homi
Jehangir Bhaba: Key people

At 3:45 pm on May 11, 1998, India achieved a milestone under the code name Operation Shakti and successfully conducted the Pokhran-I test, which came as a shock to the United States

Operation Shakti 1998 

Those involved in India’s nuclear testing has been using code names such as White House, Whiskey and Taj Mahal to counter CIA’s spying on communication lines

When India conducted
the nuclear test

Soon after the then PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s announcement on successful nuclear testing, the Bill Clinton administration said it was “deeply disappointed” and slapped sanctions against India

India’s Pokhran Test:
USA’s reaction