National Technology Day 2021: Date, significance, things you should know
Representative ImageSince 1999, India has been observing May 11 as National Technology Day to honour and celebrate the first of the five nuclear tests that were carried out on May 11, 1998. It was officially signed by then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
India created history when successfully fired the Operation Shakti nuclear missile in Pokhran Test Range. After the initial test code 'Smiling Buddha', it was the second test conducted by India.
Although many names were given to these tests, originally it was called Operation Shakti–98. The five nuclear bombs were named Shakti-I to V. Later, the operation came to be called Pokhran II, and the 1974 explosion as Pokhran-I.
Pokhran II: Objectives
India had three objectives to accomplish by Pokhran II. Rakesh Sood, a former diplomat who was involved in the post-nuclear tests diplomacy said we had three objectives, "First was to validate new designs to ensure the credibility of the nuclear deterrent as the data set from the 1974 test was limited. The second was to declare that India was now a nuclear weapon state and modify the terms of our engagement with other states accordingly. The third was to generate an acceptance of India as a responsible state with an impeccable non-proliferation record."
Development and test teams
Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam (later, President of India), Scientific Adviser to the prime minister and Head of the DRDO and Dr. R. Chidambaram, Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission and the Department of Atomic energy were the project chief coordinators.
Dr. K. Santhanam; Director, Test Site Preparations from Defence Research & Development Organization (DRDO) and Dr. G. R. Dikshitulu; Senior Research Scientist B.S.O.I Group, Nuclear Materials Acquisition from Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research were involved in the Pokhran II.
The names of the remaining technical personnel involved in the operation of Pokhran II are provided below.
Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC):
India created history when successfully fired the Operation Shakti nuclear missile in Pokhran Test Range. After the initial test code 'Smiling Buddha', it was the second test conducted by India.
It was the first such test in 24 years on May 11 and 13, 1998 India set off five nuclear devices at a test site in Pokhran in Rajasthan.
Although many names were given to these tests, originally it was called Operation Shakti–98. The five nuclear bombs were named Shakti-I to V. Later, the operation came to be called Pokhran II, and the 1974 explosion as Pokhran-I.
Pokhran II: Objectives
India had three objectives to accomplish by Pokhran II. Rakesh Sood, a former diplomat who was involved in the post-nuclear tests diplomacy said we had three objectives, "First was to validate new designs to ensure the credibility of the nuclear deterrent as the data set from the 1974 test was limited. The second was to declare that India was now a nuclear weapon state and modify the terms of our engagement with other states accordingly. The third was to generate an acceptance of India as a responsible state with an impeccable non-proliferation record."
Development and test teams
Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam (later, President of India), Scientific Adviser to the prime minister and Head of the DRDO and Dr. R. Chidambaram, Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission and the Department of Atomic energy were the project chief coordinators.
Dr. K. Santhanam; Director, Test Site Preparations from Defence Research & Development Organization (DRDO) and Dr. G. R. Dikshitulu; Senior Research Scientist B.S.O.I Group, Nuclear Materials Acquisition from Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research were involved in the Pokhran II.
The names of the remaining technical personnel involved in the operation of Pokhran II are provided below.
Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC):
- Dr. Anil Kakodkar, Director of BARC.
- Dr. Satinder Kumar Sikka, Director; Thermonuclear Weapon Development.
- Dr. M. S. Ramakumar, Director of Nuclear Fuel and Automation Manufacturing Group; Director, Nuclear Component Manufacture.
- Dr. D.D. Sood, Director of Radiochemistry and Isotope Group; Director, Nuclear Materials Acquisition.
- Dr. S.K. Gupta, Solid State Physics and Spectroscopy Group; Director, Device Design & Assessment.
- Dr. G. Govindraj, Associate Director of Electronic and Instrumentation Group; Director, Field Instrumentation.
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