National Technology Day 2010

 11th May the National Technology Day is celebrated annually all over the India  to commemorate technological breakthroughs which included
1.    Mastering of the nuclear weapons technology (Pokharan II) through a series of controlled tests at Pokharan,
2.    Test firing of the indigenously developed Trishul missile and
3.    Test flight of the indigenous aircraft Hansa-3.

These diverse and significant achievements on a single day, in a way, indicated the resurgence of Indian Technology. Nuclear power represents perhaps one of the most powerful technologies developed in the 20th century and this was a technology that is not easily available. The success of India in a developing nuclear power not only represented India developing its own technological muscle but also success in an area which is strategically important.

A  Day in the History of the Country 11th May 1998 :

What Exactly happened on 11th May 1998 ?

On May 11 and May 13, 1998, India conducted five nuclear tests at the Pokhran test range in Rajasthan, India. First of the five tests were carried out on May 11, 1998 when three nuclear devices were detonated simultaneously registering in nearby seismic stations as a 5.3 Richter Scale earthquake. The next two tests were carried out on May 13, 1998. Since then, India has imposed a self-moratarium on nuclear tests.

Image: The three shafts in which India conducted its nuclear tests nicknamed, Taj Mahal, White House and Shakti.Image Credit: Wikipedia

This day has since been celebrated as National Technology Day in India. Importantly for us, in the space community, May 11, 1999, on the first anniversary of the Pokhran tests, then Chairman, ISRO, K Kasturirangan announced to the world that India's Polar Synchronous Launch Vehicle (PSLV) had the capability to launch a spacecraft to the Moon within 10 years. In 9 years, ISRO launched Chandrayaan-1 from Sriharikota on board the PSLV-C11.

11th May  officially declared as National Technology day : 11th May 1998 being the defining moment in the growth of technology prowess of the country , was christened as National Technology Day by the then Prime Minister of India.
Since then it is being celebrated every year as National Technology Day across the country by various scientific and industrial organizations and educational institutions.