Independence Day 2021 | Sports to Railway infra, India's biggest achievements in last 74 years
In these past 74 years of independence from British rule, India overcame many hurdles and gained global recognition in several fields. As the country celebrates its 75th Independence day today, let's take pride in what India has achieved so far.
India took a democratic leap by conducting its first general elections in 1951 spread over five months, under its brand new Constitution. Shyam Saran Negi, 102, created history by being independent India's first voter. In the election Congress registered a thumping victory as Jawaharlal Nehru became India’s first prime minister. (Image source: Reuters.)
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Nationalised in 1951, Indian Railways is today the largest rail network in Asia and the world's second largest network operated under a single management. (Image source: Reuters)
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India won the Cricket World Cup for the first time in 1983. In the final match, the Indian cricket team defeated West Indies who were considered the most fearsome team in the world at that time. (Photo: BCCI via Twitter)
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In 1991 under the leadership of P. V. Narasimha Rao India adopted The New Economic Policy. This enabled Indian economy to open the doors for free trade by foreign investors. File image.
India saw its first ever woman president in Pratibha Devisingh Patil who held the office as the country’s 12th president from 2007 to 2012 after conquering her competitor, Bhairon Singh Shekhawat. (Image source: Reuters)
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India successfully launched Chandrayaan in October 2008 to explore the moon. One of the greatest achievements of Chandrayaan was the discovery of water molecules in the lunar soil. The mission included a lunar orbiter and an impactor. This Reuters image shows India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) C-11 takes off carrying India's first unmanned moon mission Chandrayaan-1 from the Satish Dhawan space centre at Sriharikota, about 100 km (62 miles) north of the southern Indian city of Chennai, October 22, 2008
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India the country with second largest population in the world saw polio being eradicated from the country and life expectancy grow to 68.89 years which was only 32 years at time of independence. In March 2014, the World Health Organisation certified the South-East Asian region – which includes India, a polio-free region. (Photo: Reuters. A child receives polio drop in Madhya Pradesh in 2008)
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India conducted its first nuclear test, codenamed “Smiling Buddha”, in the year 1974. With this, India broke into the list of five nuclear-powered nations. In May of 1998 India conducted a series of five nuclear bomb tests at Pokhran, Rajasthan under the codename “Operation Shakti”. It led to India becoming a full-fledged nuclear state. Photo of India's first underground nuclear explosion in 1998 via Reuters
India launched ‘Operation Vijay’ during 1999 Kargil war after Pakistani forces infiltrated inside LoC. The war ended in July, with India successfully recapturing Tiger Hill. This image captures Battle-ready Indian soliders armed with a machine gun keep vigilant as they head from Srinagar towards Kargil town 24 May 1999. Image source: AFP PHOTO
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Abhinav Bindra won the gold medal in the 10m Air Rifle event at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. He became the first Indian to win an individual gold medal at the Olympic Games. Image source: Reuters .
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In a win for gender justice and the rule of law, the Supreme Court in 2017,declared the Islamic practice of triple talaq unconstitutional. Triple talaq or talaq-e-biddat was a practice in which Muslim men divorce their wives by uttering talaq three times in quick succession. Activists celebrate SC's decision in this Rueters photo.
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The Supreme Court restored a landmark Delhi High Court judgment in 2018 that decriminalised homosexuality. Image source: In this Reuters image gay rights activists cover themselves with a rainbow flag as they celebrate the Supreme court's decision.
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Star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra created history by wining Gold medal in men's javelin throw at Tokyo Olympic 2020. Chopra gave his best throw of 87.58 to bag the gold medal and became the first Indian athlete to win gold ever and country’s second ever individual Olympic gold medalist after shooter Abhinav Bindra. Photo credit: Reuters.
