As we stand closer to our 68th Independence Day, it’s time to revisit and salute India’s marvellous achievements in her 67th year of independence. India has made remarkable strides in science and technology, which defines the level of development of a country.
Nuclear Triad
India completes the nuclear triad with the development of long-range nuclear missile that can be launched from under sea. With this missile, India has developed the capability of launching long-range nuclear-capable missile from surface, air and underwater. This nuclear triad capacity is available only with a few countries like the US, France, Russia and China.
Mars Orbiter Mission
The Mars Orbiter Mission, informally called Mangalyaan, is a spacecraft to Mars launched by ISRO to measure methane gas, a marker of life on the planet. Mangalyaan is India’s first interplanetary mission, and if successful, India would become the fourth country to reach Mars.
General Elections
This year, India conducted 16th general elections with 81.5 crores electorates, making it the biggest democratic exercise on Earth. This grand spectacle that involved one sixth of world’s population in one go in a peaceful and organized manner demonstrated India working at its best.
Astra
India successfully tested its first indigenous air-to-air missile ‘Astra’, marking a significant turning point in the decade-long developmental saga of the complex beyond visual range (BVR) weapon. Only a few countries like the US, Russia, France and Israel have managed to develop BVR missiles till now.
Agni V
India successfully test fired for 2nd time Agni V, an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) developed by DRDO, making this launch a major milestone in the country’s missile research and development programme. Agni-V can cover entire China and reach Europe with its range of over 5,000 km. Only the UN Security Council permanent members – China, France, Russia the US and Britain – along with Israel, are believed to have such long-range weapons.
Polio-free
India has gone three years without a single case of wild poliovirus, which means it’s now officially “polio-free.” India’s achievement is one of the most impressive accomplishments in global health. India’s success in eradicating polio surprised experts, many of whom regarded India as the most difficult place in the world for the disease to be cleared.
