National Science Day
India is celebrating National Technology Day today. Every year on 11th May, India celebrates National Technology Day to honor the country’s scientific breakthrough and the innovators who drive them. The day was officially declared by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 1999 to celebrate the historic Pokhran-II nuclear tests aka Operation Shakti conducted in 1998. The Operation Shakti not only established India as a nuclear nation but also signaled its refusal to be constrained by international technological barriers. India celebrates this day as a platform to honor the contributions of scientists, researchers, and innovators.
The main reason for celebrating this day is the Pokhran-II nuclear tests. On 11th May 1998 India successfully conducted three underground nuclear tests at the Pokhran Test Range in the deserts of Rajasthan. The mission was given a code name ‘Operation Shakti’ for the series of five nuclear bomb test explosions. The first three tests were conducted simultaneously on 11th May while the remaining two were tested on 13th May.
The project was a major collaborative effort led by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE). The key figures of the project were Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, the then Scientific Adviser to the PM, and Dr. R. Chidambaram.
After the success of these tests, India became the sixth country to join the “nuclear club,” and the first nuclear-armed nation that was not a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
This morning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X and said thank you. Thank you to the scientists who gave everything to make India proud on a day that the world was watching.
“We recall with pride the hard work and dedication of our scientists, which led to the successful tests in Pokhran in 1998. That landmark moment reflected India’s scientific excellence and unwavering commitment,” he wrote.
But he was not just looking back. He was also looking forward. The PM spoke about how technology today is not a luxury or a side project for India. It is the engine. He said it is accelerating innovation, opening up new opportunities, and touching every corner of the country’s growth story. And his government’s bet, he made clear, is on people. On young researchers. On homegrown talent. On ideas that solve real problems for real Indians.
Here is something many people do not know. May 11, 1998 was not just about nuclear tests. On that very same day, India flew its first indigenously built aircraft, the Hansa-3, a small two-seater plane developed right here at home, into the skies above Bengaluru. And as if that was not enough, the DRDO also successfully test-fired the Trishul surface-to-air missile on the same day.
Three wins. One day. That is the kind of day May 11, 1998 was for India. It was not a coincidence. It was the result of years of quiet, determined work by thousands of scientists who believed that India could do it on its own.
Fast forward to 2026 and the story has only gotten bigger. This year’s National Technology Day is built around the idea of Responsible Innovation for Inclusive Growth. At a national exhibition in New Delhi, more than 350 technologies developed entirely in India are on display, covering everything from artificial intelligence and space research to clean energy, semiconductors, and deep-sea exploration.
These are not just numbers on a page. They are proof that the spirit of those scientists in Pokhran never really went away. It just found new labs, new problems, and new ways to make India stand tall.
Today, as the country marks another National Technology Day, it is worth remembering that every satellite launched, every app built, and every medicine discovered carries a little bit of that desert dust from Rajasthan. A reminder that India, when it puts its mind to something, does not stop.
Syed Ziyauddin is a media and international relations enthusiast with a strong academic and professional foundation. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Media from Jamia Millia Islamia and a Master’s in International Relations (West Asia) from the same institution.
He has work with organizations like ANN Media, TV9 Bharatvarsh, NDTV and Centre for Discourse, Fusion, and Analysis (CDFA) his core interest includes Tech, Auto and global affairs.
Tweets @ZiyaIbnHameed
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