Important DaysTuesday, 12 May 2026·The Hindu
National Technology Day 2026 marked Pokhran-II, Trishul missile and Hansa-3 milestones
India observed National Technology Day on May 11, 2026, recalling Pokhran-II, Trishul missile and Hansa-3 aircraft milestones.
Key highlights
Direct fact
On May 11, 2026, India observed National Technology Day, a day declared in 1999 by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to commemorate the 1998 Pokhran-II tests, the Trishul missile test and the maiden flight of the indigenous Hansa-3 aircraft.
Key specifics
- Pokhran-II was conducted on May 11, 1998 under Operation Shakti.
- The tests officially established India as a nuclear weapons state.
- Hansa-3 was developed by the National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), established in 1959 in Bengaluru.
- Trishul is a short-range surface-to-air missile developed by DRDO, established in 1958 and headquartered in New Delhi.
- Pokhran-I, also called Operation Smiling Buddha, was conducted on May 18, 1974 at Pokhran Test Range, Rajasthan.
Exam lens
Important day and science-history question, 1999 declaration, May 11 observance, Operation Shakti, NAL and DRDO; TNPSC may ask the year of National Technology Day and the events it commemorates.