National Technology Day, celebrated every year on May 11. The celebrations will be organised by Technology Development Board (TDB) on 11th May 2025, featuring participation from scientists, technocrats, industry leaders, academic institutions, policymakers, and startup founders.
- The event aims to accelerate India’s innovation ecosystem through deep-tech, precision engineering, and transformative research and development (R&D).
- 11 May 2025 marks the 27th edition of National Technology Day, commemorating 1998 Pokhran nuclear tests.
2025 Theme:
The Technology Development Board (TDB) under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Ministry of Science and Technology(MoS&T) unveiled the official theme for National Technology Day 2025 as “YANTRA – Yugantar for Advancing New Technology, Research & Acceleration”.
About the Theme – “YANTRA”
- The term YANTRA, rooted in India’s scientific and cultural legacy, symbolises mechanical innovation, systematic synergy, and scalable technological solutions.
- The word Yugantar, meaning epochal shift, reflects India’s transition from technology adoption to becoming a global leader in technology development.
Background:
i.Marks the historic achievements of May 11, 1998, when India conducted the Operation Shakti (Pokhran-II) nuclear tests and the maiden flight of the indigenous Hansa-3 aircraft.
ii.In recognition of these milestones, former Prime Minister(PM) of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee declared May 11 as National Technology Day in 1999. The TDB organizes events, awards, and competitions to promote scientific excellence and technological innovation.
iii.The Council for Technology organised the first-ever National Technology Day on 11 May 1999.
About Operation Shakti (Pokhran-II) – 1998
Operation Shakti, also known as Pokhran-II, was a series of 5 underground nuclear tests conducted by India at the Pokhran Test Range, Rajasthan on 11th and 13th May 1998. It was India’s second nuclear test after Pokhran-I in 1974 (Smiling Buddha).
i.11th May 1998: India detonated 3 nuclear devices, including
• a 45 kiloton (kt) thermonuclear device
• a 15 kt fission device
• a 0.2 kt sub-kiloton device
ii.13th May 1998: India detonated 2 more sub-kiloton devices (0.5 kt & 0.3 kt).
These tests made India the 6th country in the world to possess nuclear weapon technology.
- The mission was coordinated by Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, then Scientific Adviser to the PM and Head of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), and Dr. R. Chidambaram, former Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC).
Introduction of Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar (RVP) – in 2024
The Government of India(GoI) introduced the Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar (RVP) to honour exceptional contributions in Science, Technology, and Innovation.
i.The awards are presented in 4 categories:
- Vigyan Ratna (VR)
- Vigyan Shri (VS)
- Vigyan Yuva: Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar (VY-SSB)
- Vigyan Team (VT)
ii.The awards cover 13 domains including Physics, Chemistry, Biological Sciences, among others.
