75 years of glory

India, with its rich culture, heritage and concoction of diverse religions, customs, and traditions, is ready to celebrate and bask in the glory of 75 years of Independence Day. In all these years, we have seen many ups and downs and historic events. As we celebrate this year's Independence Day, let us have a look and remember India's recent achievements and development in different sectors.

Triumph at 2020 Tokyo Olympics: Whether it was winning first gold medal in the athletics category to women hockey players' tremendous performance, this year's Olympics has been memorable for India for many reasons. India received seven medals (1 Gold, 2 Silver, & 4 Bronze), earning the 48th place, which is also a first time. The Indian team at the Olympics has taken the country by storm through their exhilarating performance. India's name in the top 50 is a magnificent achievement for the country. The victories have left the country in unbound happiness amidst ongoing fight with the Covid 19 pandemic.

Science & Technology: India's tumultuous work in technology and development has brought many feats in the last few years.

1. Mars Orbiter Mission, 2013 (Mangalyaan): The successful completion of Mars Orbiter Mission in September 2014 led ISRO to become the 4th in the world to reach Mars orbit and the first to do so in the first attempt.

2. GSAT-29: In 2018, India launched a communication satellite GSAT. According to ISRO, GSAT-29 is a multi-beam, multiband communication satellite. It focused on improving connectivity in the hilly and inaccessible areas like Jammu & Kashmir and North-East of India.

3. Chandrayaan-2: In 2019, India launched its second lunar exploration project as Chandrayaan-2, the first attempt to land on the lunar surface from its first-ever hydrogen-powered car (which generates electricity by the chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen from the air) to ISRO's humanoid Vyommitra (will be the first to go to space in its first human space mission, she will stimulate human functions and will give out the required research findings before astronauts could go) are among some of the developments that took place in 2020.

India has thus become a significant player in the Science & Technology sector with its recent and ongoing developments, attracting the world to invest in India accordingly.

Heritage Sites: India enjoys a rich cultural heritage being one of the oldest civilisations of the world. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) seeks to encourage the identification, protection, and preservation of cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity.

At present, we have 38 UNESCO declared World Heritage Sites in India. Khangchendzonga National Park (2016), Archaeological Site of Nalanda Mahavihara at Nalanda, Bihar (2016), Historic City of Ahmedabad (2017), Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai (2018), & Jaipur City, Rajasthan (2019) being some of the latest additions into the list.

Polio Eradication: India has had a long battle with Polio for 66 years; it was a challenge that was battled with the dedication of the authorities and implementing immunisation programs proactively. In 2014, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared India a polio-free country; in the same year, the South-East Asia Region collectively became Polio Free.

When Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru said, “The achievement we celebrate today is but a step, an opening of opportunity, to the greater triumphs and achievements that await us,” he wanted India to fight its battles and rise gloriously. With time, may it keep on shining and progressing, even in dark times.