Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will inaugurate the programme marking National Technology Day 2023, at Pragati Maidan, on 11th May 2023 at 10:30 AM. The programme will also mark the commencement of celebration of the 25th year of National Technology Day, which will be held from 11th to 14th May.
Key scientific projects
On this momentous occasion, Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone and dedicate to the nation multiple projects related to scientific and technological advancement in the country, worth more than Rs 5800 crore. This is in line with the Prime Minister’s vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat through strengthening scientific institutions in the country.
The projects whose foundation stone would be laid include Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory – India (LIGO-India), Hingoli; Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Jatni, Odisha; and Platinum Jubilee Block of Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai.
LIGO-India, to be developed in Hingoli, Maharashtra, will be one of the handful Laser Interferometer Gravitational wave observatories in the world. It is an extremely sensitive interferometer of 4 km arm length capable of sensing gravitational waves generated during the merger of massive astrophysical objects such as black holes, and neutron stars. The LIGO-India will work in synchronisation with two such observatories operating in the United States; one in Hanford, Washington and the other in Livingston, Louisiana.
The projects that will be dedicated to Nation include Fission Molybdenum-99 Production Facility, Mumbai; Rare Earth Permanent Magnet Plant, Visakhapatnam; National Hadron Beam Therapy Facility, Navi Mumbai; Radiological Research Unit, Navi Mumbai; Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Visakhapatnam; and Women & Children Cancer Hospital Building, Navi Mumbai;
Rare Earth Permanent Magnets are produced primarily in developed countries. The facility for production of Rare Earth Permanent Magnet has been developed in the campus of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre at Visakhapatnam. The facility has been established based on indigenous technology and using indigenous Rare Earth material extracted from indigenous resources. With this facility, India will join a select group of nations with capacity to produce Rare Earth Permanent Magnets.
National Hadron Beam Therapy Facility of Tata Memorial Centre, Navi Mumbai is a state-of-the-art facility which works to undertake highly precise delivery of radiation to the tumour with minimal dose to the surrounding normal structures. The precise delivery of dose to target tissue reduces the early and delayed side effects of radiation therapy.
Fission Molybdenum-99 Production Facility is located in Trombay Campus of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre. Molybdenum-99 is the parent of Technetium-99m, which is used in more than 85% of imaging procedures for early detection of cancer, heart disease etc. The facility is expected to enable about 9 to 10 lakh patient scans per year.
The laying of foundation stone and dedication of several Cancer Hospitals and facilities will decentralise and enhance provisioning of world class cancer care in different regions of the country.
Atal Innovation Mission and other components
The programme and celebrations marking the National Technology Day 2023 has a special focus on Atal Innovation Mission (AIM). Highlighting the theme of this year’s National Technology Day, the AIM Pavilion will showcase multiple innovative projects and provide an opportunity for the visitors to witness live tinkering sessions, engage in tinkering activities, witness outstanding innovations and products by Startups. With multiple engagement zones such as AR/VR, Defense Tech, DigiYatra, Textile, and Life Sciences etc.
During the programme, Prime Minister will also inaugurate the Expo showcasing scientific & technological advancements made in India in the recent past. He will also release commemorative stamp and coin on the occasion.
The celebration of National Technology Day was started by former Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 1999 to honour Indian scientists, engineers and technologists, who worked for India’s scientific and technological advancement and ensured the successful conduct of Pokhran tests in May 1998. Since then, National Technology Day is observed every year on May 11. It is celebrated with a new and different theme every year. This year’s theme is ‘School to Startups- Igniting Young Minds to Innovate’.
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