 | This article needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(April 2020) |
After independence,Jawaharlal Nehru, the firstprime minister of India, initiated reforms to promote higher education andscience and technology in India.[2] TheIndian Institute of Technology (IIT)—conceived by a 22-member committee of scholars and entrepreneurs in order to promote technical education—was inaugurated on 18 August 1951 atKharagpur in West Bengal by theminister of educationMaulana Abul Kalam Azad.[3] More IITs were soon opened inBombay,Madras,Kanpur andDelhi as well in the late 1950s and early 1960s along with the regional RECs (nowNational Institutes of Technology (NIT). Beginning in the 1960s, close ties with theSoviet Union enabled theIndian Space Research Organisation to rapidly develop the Indian space program and advancenuclear power in India even afterthe first nuclear test explosion by India on 18 May 1974 atPokhran.
India accounts for about 10% of all expenditure onresearch and development in Asia and the number of scientific publications grew by 45% over the five years to 2007. However, according to former Indian science and technology ministerKapil Sibal, India is lagging in science and technology compared to developed countries.[4] India has only 140 researchers per 1,000,000 population, compared to 4,651 in the United States.[4] India invested US$3.7 billion in science and technology in 2002–2003.[5] For comparison, China invested about four times more than India, while the United States invested approximately 75 times more than India on science and technology.[5] Research and development spending grew to US$17.2 in 2020–2021.[6]
While India has increased its output of scientific papers fourfold between 2000 and 2015 overtaking Russia and France in absolute number of papers per year, that rate has been exceeded by China and Brazil; Indian papers generate fewer cites than average, and relative to its population it has few scientists.[7] In the quality-adjustedNature Index India was ranked ninth worldwide in 2023 and recorded faster growth than China in this year, albeit from a lower base.[8]
India is ranked 39th in theGlobal Innovation Index in 2024.[9]
India aimed "to convert India's economy into that of a modern state and to fit her into the nuclear age and do it quickly."[2] It was understood that India had not been at the forefront of theIndustrial Revolution, and hence made an effort to promotehigher education, and science and technology in India.[2]
Planning Commission (1950) fixed investment levels, prescribed priorities, divided funds betweenagriculture andindustry, and divided resources between the state and thefederalgovernments.[2] The result of the efforts between 1947 and 1962 saw the area under irrigation increase by 45 million acres (180,000 km2), food production rise by 34 millionmetric tons, installed power generating capacity increase by 79 millionkilowatts, and an overall increase of 94 percent inindustrial production.[2] The enormous population rise, however, would balance the gains.[2] The economically beleaguered country was nevertheless able to build a large scientific workforce, second in numbers only to that of the United States and the Soviet Union.[2]
Education—provided by the government of India—was free and compulsory up to the Age of 14.[10] More emphasis was paid to the enhancement of vocational and technical skills.[10] J.P. Naik, member-secretary of the Indian Education Commission, commented on the educational policies of the time:[10]
The main justification for the larger outlay on educational reconstruction is the hypothesis that education is the most important single factor that leads to economic growth [based on] the development of science and technology.
On 18 August 1951 the minister of educationMaulana Abul Kalam Azad, inaugurated theIndian Institute of Technology atKharagpur in West Bengal.[3] Possibly modeled after theMassachusetts Institute of Technology these institutions were conceived by a 22-member committee of scholars and entrepreneurs under the chairmanship of N.R. Sarkar.[3]
TheSino-Indian war (1962) came as a rude awakening to military preparedness.[11] Military cooperation with the Soviet Union—partially aimed at developing advanced military technology—was pursued during subsequent years.[11] TheDefence Research and Development Organisation was formed in 1958.
Radio broadcasting was initiated in 1927 but became state responsibility only in 1930.[12] In 1947 it was given the nameAll India Radio and since 1957 it has been calledAkashvani.[12] Limited duration of television programming began in 1959, and complete broadcasting followed in 1965.[12]
The Indian Government acquired the EVS EM computers from the Soviet Union, which were used in large companies and research laboratories.[13]
The roots ofnuclear power in India lie in the early acquisition of nuclear reactor technology from several western countries, particularly the American support for theTarapur Atomic Power Station and Canada'sCANDU reactors.[14] The peaceful policies ofMohandas Karamchand Gandhi may have delayed the inception of nuclear technology in India.[14]
Stanley Wolpert (2008) describes the measures taken by the Indian government to increase agricultural output:[15]
The Indian space program received only financial support from the Soviet Union, which helped theIndian Space Research Organisation achieve aims such as establishing theThumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station, launchingremote sensing satellites, developing India's first satellite—Aryabhatta, and sending astronauts into space.[11] India sustained its nuclear program during the aftermath ofOperation Smiling Buddha, the country's first nuclear tests.[11]
Though the roots of theSteel Authority of India Ltd. lie in Hindustan Steel Private Limited (1954), the events leading up to the formation of the modern avatar are described below:[16]
The Ministry of Steel and Mines drafted a policy statement to evolve a new model for managing industry. The policy statement was presented to theParliament on 2 December 1972. On this basis, the concept of creating a holding company to manage inputs and outputs under one umbrella was mooted. This led to the formation of Steel Authority of India Ltd. The company, incorporated on 24 January 1973 with an authorized capital of Rs. 2000 crore, was made responsible for managing five integrated steel plants atBhilai,Bokaro,Durgapur,Rourkela andBurnpur, the Alloy Steel Plant and the Salem Steel Plant. In 1978 SAIL was restructured as an operating company.
In 1981, theIndian Antarctic Programme was started when the first Indian expedition was flagged off forAntarctica fromGoa. More missions were subsequently sent each year to India's baseDakshin Gangotri.[17]
Indian agriculture benefited from the developments made in the field of biotechnology, for which theDepartment of Biotechnology was created in 1986 under the Ministry of Science and Technology.[18] Both the Indian private sector and the government have invested in the medical and agricultural applications of biotechnology.[18] Massivebiotech parks were established in India while the government provided tax deduction for research and development under biotechnological firms.[18]
The Indian economy underwent economic reforms in 1991, leading to a new era of globalisation and international economic integration.[19] Economic growth of over 6% annually was seen between 1993 and 2002.[19] Same year a new permanent Antarctic baseMaitri was founded and remains in operation till date.[17]
On 25 June 2002, India and the European Union agreed to bilateral cooperation in the field of science and technology.[20] A joint EU-India group of scholars was formed on 23 November 2001 to further promote joint research and development.[20] India holds Associate Member State status atCERN, while a joint India-EU Software Education and Development Centre is due atBangalore.[20] Certain scientists and activists, such asMITsystems scientistVA Shiva Ayyadurai, blamecaste for holding back innovation and scientific research in India, making it difficult to sustain progress while regressive social organisation prevails.[21] In addition, corruption and inefficiencies in the research sector and have resulted incorruption scandals and undermine innovation initiatives.[22]
Bangalore is considered to be the technological capital of India.[23] IT, biotechnology, aerospace, nuclear science, manufacturing technology, automobile engineering, chemical engineering, ship building, space science, electronics, computer science and other medical science related research and development are occurring on a large scale in the country.[citation needed]
In 2017, India became an associate member ofEuropean Organization for Nuclear Research.
The Government of India has passed four policy documents on science and technology:[24]
The fifth policy, theNational Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy, is in the draft and public consultation stage.[25]
The Mars Orbiter Mission, also called "Mangalyaan",[26] was launched on 5 November 2013 by theIndian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).[27][28][29] It is India's first interplanetary mission,[30] makingISRO the fourthspace agency to reach Mars, after theSoviet space program,NASA, and theEuropean Space Agency.[31] The first Asian nation to reachMars orbit and the first nation to do so on its first attempt was India.[32][33][34]
On 18 November 2008, the Moon Impact probe was released from Chandrayaan-1 at a height of 100 km (62 mi). During its 25-minute descent, Chandra's Altitudinal Composition Explorer (CHACE) recorded evidence of water in 650 mass spectra readings gathered during this time.[35] On 24 September 2009Science journal reported that the Chandrayaan-1 had detected water ice on the Moon.[36]
Chandrayaan-2 was launched on 22 July 2019. It was a partial success: The team wanted to send an additional lander with rover Vikram with the original orbiter in it, to mark India's terrestrial presence on Moon, but the signal connection was lost about 2.1 km (1.3 mi) above the lunar surface. Over several months team tried to resume contact with lander, but ended up with no success. Later, by the late February 2020, it was claimed that an Indian software engineer from Chennai living in USA studied the NASA data of the proposed crashed site and found the Lander.
Chandrayaan-3 is a next planned mission of sending only the lander with rover inside on the Moon, with the Japan'sJAXA. It was delayed due toCOVID-19 pandemic
Gaganyaan is a future planned, "in development process" space module to send the Indian astronauts into space, who are being trained in Russia. The plan is to establish a new "space station" other than theISS. India has kept itself from being part of the program, to show its "self reliance". The program was also, delayed due to thepandemic of COVID-19.[citation needed]
The Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) is a planned, eighteen story, astronomical observatory andextremely large telescope to be built on the summit ofMauna Kea in the state ofHawaii. The TMT is designed fornear-ultraviolet tomid-infrared (0.31 to 28μm wavelengths) observations, featuring adaptive optics to assist in correcting image blur. The TMT will be at the highest altitude of all the proposedELTs. The telescope has government-level support from several R&D spending nations: China, Japan, Canada and India.[citation needed]
The idea of science academies in India has evolved along with the Indian independence movement. The three major science academiesIndian National Science Academy,Indian Academy of Sciences and theNational Academy of Sciences, India were all founded in the pre-independence era (pre-1947) between 1930 and 1935.
Indian Academy of Sciences
Also referred to colloquially as the "Bangalore Academy",Indian Academy of Sciences (IAS) was founded in 1934 byC. V. Raman, aNobel laureate in physicis of his time in Bangalore (now Bengaluru), Karnataka (formerly known as the State of Mysore), India.[37]," ⠀⠀
National Academy of Sciences, India
The founder and first president of theNational Academy of Sciences, India (NASI) wasMeghnad Saha in 1930 in Allahabad (Prayag), Uttar Pradesh, India.[38]
Indian National Science Academy
Founded in 1935 based on a proposal by theIndian Science Congress Association (ISCA) and National Institute of Science of India (NISI) with Meghnad Saha's blessings,[39]Indian National Science Academy (INSA) is based in New Delhi, India. According to its charter, the historical aim of the INSA was to be similar to the Royal Society, London, a gathering of learned people to exchange ideas and further science.
![[icon]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aWiki_letter_w_cropped.svg) | This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding to it.(June 2021) |
India's rank based on number of Gold Medals in last 10 years (2014–2023):
{{cite book}}:|website= ignored (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)India has become the first nation to send a satellite into orbit around Mars on its first attempt, and the first Asian nation to do so.
India became the first Asian nation to reach the Red Planet when its indigenously made unmanned spacecraft entered the orbit of Mars on Wednesday
India's Mars Orbiter Mission successfully entered Mars' orbit Wednesday morning, becoming the first nation to arrive on its first attempt and the first Asian country to reach the Red Planet.
