12.3 Science & Technology, Sports & Culture
Key Takeaways
- ISRO was set up on 15 August 1969, with Vikram Sarabhai as its first chairman and the father of the Indian space programme.
- Chandrayaan-3 soft-landed on the Moon's south pole on 23 August 2023, making India the fourth nation to land on the Moon and the first near the south pole.
- Eight classical dance forms are recognised by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, including Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Kathakali, and Odissi.
- National Sports Day is observed on 29 August, the birthday of Major Dhyan Chand.
- Tamil was the first language to receive classical status from the Government of India, in 2004.
Why S&T, Sports, and Culture Matter for RRB Group D
About 3-5 of the 20 GA questions cover science & technology achievements, sports, and art & culture. RRB often asks about ISRO missions, national sports days, classical dance forms, and UNESCO sites — factual and quick to score if you have the list memorised.
Indian Space Programme — ISRO
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) was set up on 15 August 1969; its headquarters is in Bengaluru. The Department of Space manages it. The first chairman was Vikram Sarabhai, considered the father of the Indian space programme.
Major missions:
| Mission | Year | Achievement |
|---|---|---|
| Aryabhata | 1975 | First Indian satellite (launched by the USSR) |
| Rohini (SLV-3) | 1980 | First satellite launched by an Indian vehicle (SLV-3) |
| INSAT | 1983 | Multi-purpose satellite system for communication, broadcasting, meteorology |
| PSLV | 1994 | Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle — workhorse for remote-sensing satellites |
| Chandrayaan-1 | 2008 | First lunar probe; confirmed water on the Moon (Moon Impact Probe) |
| Mangalyaan (MOM) | 2014 | First Indian Mars mission; reached Mars orbit on first attempt |
| GSAT-19 | 2017 | Heaviest satellite launched by GSLV Mk III |
| Chandrayaan-2 | 2019 | Orbiter, Vikram lander, Pragyan rover; orbiter still operational |
| Chandrayaan-3 | 2023 | Successful landing on the Moon's south pole (23 August 2023); India became the 4th nation to soft-land on the Moon and the first near the south pole |
| Aditya-L1 | 2023 | First solar mission; placed at Lagrange point L1 |
| Gaganyaan | Crewed flight targeted 2027 | India's first human spaceflight programme — three astronauts to low Earth orbit; preceded by the uncrewed G1 flight carrying the humanoid Vyommitra. Separately, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla became the first Indian on the International Space Station on the Axiom-4 mission in June 2025 |
ISRO's launch vehicles in ascending order of capability: SLV-3, ASLV, PSLV, GSLV, and LVM3 (GSLV Mk III). The SSLV (Small Satellite Launch Vehicle) is the newest, designed for small payloads.
DRDO and the Nuclear Programme
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), formed in 1958, develops defence technologies — Agni and Prithvi missiles, the Arjun tank, the Tejas light combat aircraft, the INSAS rifle, and the Akash surface-to-air missile.
India's nuclear programme began under Homi Bhabha. India conducted its first nuclear test ('Smiling Buddha') at Pokhran on 18 May 1974, and a second series of tests at Pokhran-II on 11-13 May 1998 under A.P.J. Abdul Kalam's scientific leadership.
IT and Telecom
- The Department of Electronics and IT (MeitY) oversees IT policy.
- Digital India (launched 1 July 2015) and BharatNet aim to connect rural India with broadband.
- The telecom regulator is TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India), set up in 1997.
- 5G services in India were launched in October 2022.
- UIDAI issues Aadhaar; the Unique Identification Authority was established as a statutory body in 2016.
Sports — Major Events and India's Record
| Event | India Highlights |
|---|---|
| Olympic Games | First participation 1900; first gold (field hockey) 1928; first individual gold — Abhinav Bindra, shooting, 2008 Beijing |
| Asian Games | First held 1951 in New Delhi; India also hosted the 1982 Asian Games in Delhi |
| Commonwealth Games | India hosted 2010 (Delhi); finished second in the medals tally |
| Cricket ODI World Cup | Men's wins: 1983 (Kapil Dev), 2011 (MS Dhoni). Women's: India won its first title in 2025, beating South Africa in the final at Navi Mumbai |
| Cricket T20 World Cup | Men's wins: 2007 (the inaugural edition) and 2024 |
| Hockey | India's de facto national game; 8 Olympic gold medals in men's hockey |
| National Sports Day | 29 August — birth anniversary of Major Dhyan Chand |
Other days to remember: National Youth Day (12 January, Swami Vivekananda's birthday), National Science Day (28 February, marking C.V. Raman's discovery of the Raman effect in 1928), National Education Day (11 November, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad's birthday).
Art, Dance, and Music
Eight classical dance forms recognised by the Sangeet Natak Akademi:
| Dance | State |
|---|---|
| Bharatanatyam | Tamil Nadu |
| Kathak | North India (especially Uttar Pradesh) |
| Kathakali | Kerala |
| Mohiniyattam | Kerala |
| Manipuri | Manipur |
| Odissi | Odisha |
| Kuchipudi | Andhra Pradesh |
| Sattriya | Assam |
Hindustani (north) and Carnatic (south) are the two major classical music traditions. Notable exponents: Pandit Ravi Shankar (sitar), Ustad Zakir Hussain (tabla), and M.S. Subbulakshmi (Carnatic vocalist, the first Indian to perform at the UN General Assembly in 1966).
Classical Languages
Eleven languages now hold classical status from the Government of India, awarded on criteria including 1,500–2,000 years of recorded literary history. The first six were Tamil (2004, the first), Sanskrit (2005), Telugu and Kannada (2008), Malayalam (2013) and Odia (2014). On 3 October 2024 the Union Cabinet added five more — Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese and Bengali — taking the total to 11. Any source that still says "six classical languages" predates that decision.
Festivals and UNESCO World Heritage Sites
India has 44 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Famous ones include the Taj Mahal (Agra, 1983), Qutub Minar (Delhi), Red Fort, Ajanta & Ellora caves (Maharashtra), Konark Sun Temple (Odisha), Kaziranga National Park (Assam) and the Western Ghats. Recent additions: Dholavira (a Harappan city) and the Ramappa Temple (Telangana) in 2021; the Moidams of Assam — the mound-burial system of the Ahom dynasty — as the 43rd site in 2024; and the Maratha Military Landscapes of India (twelve forts, eleven in Maharashtra and one in Tamil Nadu, including Raigad, Shivneri and Sindhudurg) as the 44th site in July 2025.
Major festivals: Diwali, Holi, Eid, Christmas, Guru Nanak Jayanti, Pongal (Tamil Nadu), Bihu (Assam), Onam (Kerala), Durga Puja (West Bengal — inscribed by UNESCO in 2021 as Intangible Cultural Heritage), Baisakhi (Punjab), and the Pushkar Camel Fair (Rajasthan).
Exam Scenario
A typical question: 'Who is known as the Father of the Indian Space Programme?' Answer: Vikram Sarabhai. Or: 'Chandrayaan-3 successfully landed on which part of the Moon?' Answer: the south pole. Memorise these one-line associations.
Who is known as the Father of the Indian Space Programme?
Chandrayaan-3 successfully landed on which part of the Moon on 23 August 2023?
Which classical dance form originated in Kerala?