After gaining independence from the dominating British rule in 1947, India was reeling under the pressure of multiple crises, including availability of education, vaccines, food, clean drinking water and many more. India, the country which had a population of 345 million at the time of its independence, under the leadership of the first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, led to the foundation of the Indian Institute of Technology in 1950, exactly after three years of independence. Nehru emphasized the establishment of a technological research institute not only for the advancement of the country in various fields but also for improving the living standard of the people of India.
In his opinion, “Science was not merely an individual’s search for truth; it was something infinitely more than that if it worked for the community”. His ambition was to change India’s economy into that of a modern state and enable her to create a space for herself in the nuclear age as quickly as possible.
Nehru gave an impetus to the development of The Department of Scientific research and natural resources. During this period, the man who was popularly known as the Father of Indian laboratories, Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar, initiated the development of The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) .
The development of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in 1958 facilitated the border authorities to employ vigilant task force to keep a watchful eye on the activities of two of our rivalries: China and Pakistan. The technological advancement in the field of defence enabled the Indian army to implement swift actions during times of crisis while ensuring a safer and transparent system of communication within the country as well as outside it. Through the advancement of technology Amul, which was established in1955 to eradicate the problem of scarcity of milk, established an automatic Milk Collection System to test the quality and quantity of milk before distributing it among the distributors. This initiative by Amul not only helped to further reduce the milk crisis but also helped the people associated with this business to receive a fair remuneration according to their contribution.
The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) established in 1954, by the Government of India, remains one of the milestone achievements in the scientific and research sector. Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, described nuclear power as the, “gateway to a prosperous future.” The department of atomic energy has been entrusted to take up the responsibility of providing electricity to all the regions of India and eradicate the problem of power cut and unequal distribution of electricity through the utilisation of the heat generated from nuclear energy.
A massive development in the communication and broadcasting sector through the establishment of Prasar Bharati, in 1997, made it easier for the broadcasting sector to propagate information and cater to the demands of the public as and when required through Doordarshan Television Network and All India Radio. A development in the communication and informationation technology resulted in the timely forecast of weather and cyclones saving thousands of lives as well.
Apart from these notable improvements, in the recent years, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has also made it to the public eye, because of its amazing feats of the Mars Orbiter Mission and the Chandrayaan -2. According to reports, the Indian space research organisation’s current aims remain the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 and the establishment of India’s own space station, the Ganganyaan.
