Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has had many remarkable milestones since their launch in 1969. They have time and again proved that they completely stand by their vision to ‘harness space technology for national development’. Their achievements over the years has created a standard par excellence for other government agencies as well. Here are the 10 times that achievements of ISRO has made every Indian feel proud. Created a world record by launching 104 satellites in single mission, 2017: On February 15, 2017, ISRO created history by lifting off 104 satellites using the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), an Indian rocket. The launch took place on the Sriharikota spaceport in Andhra Pradesh and successfully managed to put these satellites into their desired orbit in one go. 101 were foreign satellites out of the 104 launched. It also included the Cartostat-2 series, India’s earth observation satellite. Mangalyaan or MOM, 2014: Thanks to ISRO, India became the first country to successfully reach Mars in its first attempt. ISRO also became one of the only four space organisations to have reached the red planet, apart from NASA, Soviet Space Programme and the European Space Programme. Mars Orbiter Mission or MOM had a budget of just Rs. 450 crore, making this Mars mission the least expensive till now. The goal of the mission was to collect more data on the atmosphere of the planet.
Image Source: Pleasant Personal BlogChandrayaan 1, 2008: On October 22, 2008, a 312 days unmanned lunar mission was launched. It was India’s first mission to moon and was a breakthrough in its space mission as it was one of the only six space organisations to attempt this. The aim of the mission revolved around understanding the entire topography and chemical characteristics. Though, ISRO lost contact with Chandrayaan but it was after the country’s national flag was proudly hoisted on the moon.
Image Source: India TodayHeaviest Commercial Mission, 2015: Heaviest commercial mission was taken up by ISRO where they launched 1440 kg of load. Five British satellites were launched as part of the mission using Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-C28 on July 10, 2015. This commercial installation mission was launched from Sriharikota and included three optical earth observation satellites of 447 kg each along with two auxiliary satellites.
Image Source: India TVIndian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS): With the operational name, NAVIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation), these group of seven satellites will help India build its own navigation system. The navigation covers an area of 15,000 km around our country. Two more satellites are present as a standby in the ground station apart from the seven satellites being used for operations. This made India one of the five countries to have its own navigation system in place.
Image Source: Indian ExpressSpace Capsule Recovery Experiment (SRE-1), 2007: On January 10, 2007, an Indian experiment spacecraft was launched using the PSLV C7 rocket from Sriharikota. It was launched along with three other satellites to display the ability of recovering an orbiting space capsule. The intention was to test other things such as Thermal Protection System, management of communication blackout, navigation, guidance and control, etc. Before reentering the atmosphere of the earth and diving into the Bay of Bengal, the capsule stayed in the orbit for 12 days.
Image Source: Space.comIndian National Satellite System (INSAT), 1983: Launched by ISRO, INSAT is a series of multi purpose geostationary satellites. It helped with telecommunications, broadcasting, meteorology, and search and rescue operations. The satellites built a communication system all across Asia Pacific region. There are nine working satellites in the group.
Image Source: Indian ExpressGLSV MK3, 2014: ISRO launched GSLV-MK3 on December, 2014, that has an Indian made crew capsule which can carry up to three astronauts to space. India will become a part of the exclusive group of space cruising nations which can take humans to space. It is one of the heaviest rockets and is capable of carrying 4 tonnes of load. Now, ISRO is planning to launch GSLV MK4, the next level of this operation, which would be able to carry 6 tonnes.
Image Source: The Economic TimesReusable Launch Vehicle (RLV): These space shuttles were built at a very low cost of Rs. 95 crores.The intention was to reduce the satellite costs and these are reusable space shuttles.
Image Source: The WireAryabhatta, 1975: Aryabhatta is India’s first satellite and has been named after the famous astronomer. It was the spacecraft to be entirely built in the country making a breakthrough in space missions.
India, a South Asian nation, is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country with over 1.33 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world. India boasts of an immensely rich cultural heritage including numerous languages, traditions and people. The country holds its uniqueness in its diversity and hence has adapted itself to international changes with poise and comfort. While the economy has welcomed international companies to invest in it with open arms since liberalisation in 1990s, Indians have been prudent and pro-active in adopting global approach and skills. Indian villagers proudly take up farming, advanced agriculture and unique handicrafts as their profession on one hand while modern industries and professional services sectors are coming up in a big way on the other. Thus, the country is attracting many global majors for strategic investments owing to the presence of vast range of industries, investment avenues and a supportive government. Huge population, mostly comprising the youth, is a strong driver for demand and an ample source of manpower. Location: India lies to the north of the equator in Southern Asia Latitude: 8° 4' to 37° 6' north Longitude: 68° 7' to 97° 25' east Neighbouring Countries: Pakistan and Afghanistan share political borders with India on the West while Bangladesh and Myanmar stand adjacent on the Eastern borders. The northern boundary comprises the Sinkiang province of China, Tibet, Nepal and Bhutan. Sri Lanka is another neighbouring country which is separated by a narrow channel of sea formed by the Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar. Capital: New Delhi Coastline: 7,517 km, including the mainland, the coastlines of Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal and Lakshadweep Islands in the Arabian Sea. Climate: Southern India majorly enjoys tropical climate but northern India experiences temperatures from sub-zero degrees to 50 degrees Celsius. Winters embrace northern India during December to February while springs blossom in March and April. Monsoons arrive in June and stay till September, followed by autumn in October and November. Area: India measures 3,214 km from north to south and 2,933 km from east to west with a total area of 3,287,263 sq km. Natural Resources: Coal (fourth-largest reserves in the world), iron ore, manganese, mica, bauxite, rare earth elements, titanium ore, chromite, natural gas, diamonds, petroleum, limestone, arable land. Land: 2,973,190 sq km Water: 314,070 sq km Political Profile Political System and Government: The world's largest democracy implemented its Constitution in 1950 that provided for a parliamentary system of Government with a bicameral parliament and three independent branches: the executive, the legislature and the judiciary. The country has a federal structure with elected governments in States. Administrative Divisions: 29 States and 7 Union Territories Constitution: The Constitution of India came into force on January 26, 1950 Executive Branch: The President of India is the Head of State, while the Prime Minister is the Head of the government and runs office with the support of the Council of Ministers who forms the Cabinet. Legislative Branch: The Federal Legislature comprises of the Lok Sabha (House of the People) and the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) forming both the Houses of the Parliament. Judicial Branch: The Supreme Court of India is the apex body of the Indian legal system, followed by other High Courts and subordinate Courts. Chief of State: President, Mr Ramnath Kovind (since July 25, 2017) Head of Government: Prime Minister, Mr Narendra Modi (since May 26, 2014) Demographic profile Population: 1,326,801,000 Population Growth Rate: 1.2 per cent (2015) Religions: Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism, Jainism Languages: Hindi, English and at least 16 other official languages Literacy: Total population: 74.04 per cent (provisional data-2011 census) Male: 82.14 per cent Female: 65.46 per cent Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Life expectancy: 66.9 years (men), 69.9 years (women) (2015 – WHO 2016 Report) Economic Profile Indian Economy According to The World Bank, the Indian economy will likely grow at 7 per cent in 2016-17, followed by further acceleration to 7.6 per cent in 2017-18 and 7.8 per cent in 2018-19.
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Composition by Sector (2016 Estimate)
Services: 45.4 per cent
Industry: 29.8 per cent
Agriculture: 16.5 per cent
Forex Reserves: US$ 366.78 billion as on March 17, 2017.
Gross Fixed Capital Formation (GFCF) at current prices: Gross Fixed Capital Formation (GFCF) at current prices stood at Rs 8,797.63 billion (US$ 135.36 billion) in the fourth quarter of 2016.
Value of Exports: India's exports stood at US$ 29.23 billion in March 2017.
Export Partners: US, Germany, UAE, China, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia and European Union. India is also tapping newer markets in Africa and Latin America.
Currency (code): Indian rupee (INR)
Exchange Rates: Indian rupees per US dollar - 1 USD = 65.0892 INR (March 27, 2017)
Fiscal Year: April 01 – March 31
Cumulative FDI Equity Inflows: US$ 324.357 billion (April 2000 to December 2016)
Share of Top Investing Countries FDI Equity Inflows: Mauritius (34 per cent), Singapore (16 per cent), UK (8 per cent), Japan (8 per cent), USA (6 per cent), Netherlands (6 per cent) (as in December 2016)
Major Sectors Attracting Highest FDI Equity Inflows: Services Sector (18 per cent), Construction Development (8 per cent), Computer Software and Hardware (7 per cent), Telecommunications (7 per cent), Automobile (5 per cent), Drugs and Pharmaceuticals (4 per cent), Chemical (4 per cent), Trading (4 per cent) (as in December 2016)
Transportation in India Airports: Airports Authority of India (AAI) manages 125 airports in the country, which includes 18 international aerodromes, 78 domestic ones and 26 civil enclaves at defence airfields. International Airports: Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bengaluru, Chennai, Goa, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi, Thiruvananthapuram, Port Blair, Srinagar, Jaipur, Nagpur, Calicut, Tiruchirappalli, Coimbatore Railways: The Indian Railways network is spread over 108,706 km, with 12,617 passenger and 7,421 freight trains each day from 7,172 stations plying 23 million travellers and 3 million tonnes (MT) of freight daily. Roadways: India’s road network of 4.87 million km is the second largest in the world. With the number of vehicles growing at an average annual pace of 10.16 per cent, Indian roads carry about 65 per cent of freight and 85 per cent of passenger traffic. Waterways: 14,500 km Major Ports of Entry: Chennai, Ennore, Haldia, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), Kolkata, Kandla, Kochi, Mormugao, Mumbai, New Mangalore, Paradip, Tuticorin and Vishakhapatnam.
“India is the cradle of human race also the birthplace of human speech. The mother of history, the grandmother of legend also the great grandmother of tradition. Our most valuable and most constructive materials in the history of man are treasured up in India only.”
–These were the beautiful lines given by Mark Twain.
India is a land of dreams in which about a seventh of our world’s population resides. It is also a country which has one of the richest and most vivid histories and heritage, In addition, it is the largest democracy in the world.
India is famous for a lot of things around the world from yoga to its diversity from its travel destinations to its rich past but one thing that this country is better at doing than most is celebrating festivals, lots of festivals.
Presenting the list of top things which makes India unique from rest of the world!!!
1. Country of festivals!!
India has diverse religious and cultural backgrounds, so it gets to celebrate festivals of different types, tastes, and colors. As a result, it makes festivities in this country so special to experience.
From the starting till the end…..every month comes with a particular festival in India. Here people don’t need a floor to dance. As Celebrations on streets during Durga Puja, Ganesh Chathurthi, Janamashtmi and Holi shows the real dancing talents of Indians.
India is having one of the rich and oldest cultures.
“India conquered and dominated China culturally for 20 centuries without ever having to send a single soldier across the border.” -Hu Shih
2. Famous Holy Yatra in India
Yatra in Hinduism and other Indian religions generally means a pilgrimage to holy places.
Millions of devotees visit this auspicious holy Yatra and pay homage to the temples every year. The Yatra offers you a sense of belongingness, heart Purity and the act of self-actualization in life.
Two of most sacred Yatra in India are “Char Dham Yatra” by Hindu and “Hajj Yatra” by Muslim.
The famous Yatra in India are-
Hajj Yatra
Amaranth Yatra
Vaishno Devi
Kashi Yatra
Chota Char Dham Yatra
Ratha Yatra
3. Colorful Clothes!!
Indian Clothing is renowned throughout the world, for its hand-woven textiles, ethnic wears, richly embroidered fabrics, authentic drapes in exclusive designs. Hence perfectly depicting the richness of the cultural heritage. As a result, the Indian clothing style is considered as unique and exclusive.
A lot of variations including regional as well as religions mark the styles of Indian clothing. Also, plethora of colors and textures in garments can be witnessed in Indian Clothing.
Traditional Indian clothing for women are the saris or the salwar kameez and also Ghaghra Cholis (Lehengas). For men, traditional clothes are the Dhoti, Lungi or Kurta.
4. Fair or Mela!!
India is also known as a “land of vibrant celebration”. One can see the culture of India during the celebration of various fairs celebrated with high spirit and enthusiasm in each and every town.
Most of the fair held in India are either religious fairs or celebration of the change of seasons.
Kumbh Mela is the largest peaceful fair in the world. Mass Hindu pilgrimage of faith in which Hindus gather to bathe in a sacred river.
Pushkar Fair is one of the world’s largest camel fairs and livestock fair. In addition Competitions such as the “matka phod”, “longest mustache”, and “bridal competition” are the main draws for this fair which attracts thousands of tourists.
5. Bollywood!!
The world’s movie capital is not Hollywood but Bollywood. Bollywood is the nickname for the Indian film industry located in Bombay (now known as Mumbai).
The film industry has given the world some of the finest actors and filmmakers. People like Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Madhuri Dixit and Hrithik Roshan started their careers in this industry.
Asha Bhosle has recorded up to 11000 solo, duets and chorus backed songs and several others in over 20 Indian languages since 1947. So, officially acknowledged by the Guinness Book of World Records as the most recorded artist in music history in 2011.
In addition to Hindi Film Industry, the country also has film industries which produce films in various languages like Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, Marathi and Bhojpuri etc.
6. Yoga and Youg Guru!!
Yoga, is the journey of the self, to the self, through the self. Yoga has been an intrinsic part of Indian ethos for over 5000 years.
Maharishi Patanjali is the ‘father of Yoga’ who compiled 195 Yoga Sutras that became the foundation of Yoga philosophy.
Yoga has gone through various transitions during the last fifty years but now has earned well-deserved respect and recognition.
International Day of Yoga or commonly referred to as “Yoga Day” is celebrated annually on June 21 since its inception in 2015.
7. 35 World Heritage Sites in India!!
There are 35World Heritage Sites (27 cultural and 7 natural sites and 1 mixed) in India that are recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as on July 2016.
These World Heritage Sites in India are considered to be of immense cultural and natural importance in the world.
These sites are-
Nalanda Mahavihara (Nalanda University), Bihar
Khangchendzonga National Park, Sikkim
Capitol Complex, Chandigarh
Great Himalayan National Park, Himachal Pradesh
Rani Ki Vav, Patan, Gujarat
Group of Monuments at Hampi, Karnataka
Group of Monuments at Pattadakal, Karnataka
Khajuraho Group of Monuments, Madhya Pradesh
Hill Forts of Rajasthan
Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya, Bihar
Churches and Convents of Goa
Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh
Great Living Chola Temples, Tamil Nadu
up of Monuments at Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu
Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka, Madhya Pradesh
Ajanta Caves, Maharashtra
Ellora Caves, Maharashtra
Elephanta Caves, Maharashtra
Kaziranga Wild Life Sanctuary, Assam
Manas Wild Life Sanctuary, Assam
Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur, Rajasthan
Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks, Uttarakhand
Sundarbans National Park, West Bengal
Western Ghats
Humayun’s Tomb, New Delhi
Red Fort Complex, Delhi
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus), Maharashtra
Sun Temple, Konark, Odisha
Jantar Mantar, Jaipur, Rajasthan
Agra Fort, Uttar Pradesh
Fatehpur Sikri, Uttar Pradesh
Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh
Mountain Railways of India
Qutb Minar and its Monuments, New Delhi
Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park, Gujarat
8. 8 Indian Classical Dance Forms!!
India has a very rich culture of dance and music including traditional, classical, folk and Tribal dances styles and music.
In the Indian culture, classical dance has a lot of significance. Because it serves as a fabulous way to express the innate feelings of the heart.
The Classical Dances of India includes Bharatanatyam, the oldest form of the classical dance in the country and one of the Most Popular Classical Dance in India also ancient in Natya Shastra.
There are eight forms of famous Indian classical dance-Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Kathakali, Kuchipudi, Manipuri, Odissi, Sattriya, Mohiniyattam, Gaudiya Nritya.
9. Indian Food!!
Indian cuisine is so popular that many Hollywood and western television shows have references to it, showing it as part of their popular culture.
Recipes are passed down from generation to generation and also improved and adapted based on personal taste and available ingredients. Consequently, if you practice a single recipe for hundreds of years, you’re going to get it right.
You eat with your eyes and nose before you eat with your mouth, as Indian food is both fragrant and colorful.
Indian food has slowly but surely found its way into the hearts and stomachs of cities around the United States. There are more than 300 restaurants that serve cuisine from across the subcontinent in New York City alone.
India has one of the lowest consumption of non-veg in the world.
10. Indian jewelry!!
Indian jewelry is as old as Indian civilization itself. Jewelry in ancient times was not only an adornment, but each stone was endowed with a mystical quality and used as a protection against evil forces.
Rudraksha and Tulsi seeds and sandalwood beads are worn even today during Hindu worship.
Jewelry is considered auspicious for women in India even poorest of poor women will have some kind of jewelry with them.
Jewelry design is so versatile in India that it varies from state to state. However, some basic jewelry is common among all the women across India. Bridal jewelry like Maangtika, earrings, nose rings, necklace, Mangalsutra, bangles, etc make up basic jewelry which adorns women in India.
Gold is most widely used for bridal ornaments. Earlier gold used to symbolize wealth of a family.
11. Cities in the Mountains and monsoon in India!!
India’s cities in the mountains, or “hill stations,” are walker’s havens.
India is home to some of the tallest and gallant mountain ranges in the world. These mountain regions result in mesmerizing hill stations for tourists all over the world. Also, the views of the snowy mountains in Himachal Pradesh and Kashmir will leave you spellbound.
Even the monsoon in India will completely make you fall in love with India. Because the sound of rain drops travels from South India all the way to the north. Indian mountains and plains seem like heaven on earth during monsoon.
“If I were asked under what sky the human mind has most fully developed some of its choicest gifts, has most deeply pondered on the greatest problems of life, and has found solutions, I should point to India.”–Max Mueller
So, these are few things which actually gives reasons to people, all around the globe, to visit India and enjoy the hospitality of Indian culture and the beauty of“Incredible India“.
