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National Technology Day: PM Narendra Modi launches projects worth ₹5,800 crore
PM Modi also laid the foundation stone for LIGO-India, Hingoli; Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Jatni, Odisha; and Platinum Jubilee Block of Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday laid the foundation stone of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO-India) and dedicated scientific projects worth over ₹5800 crore to the nation on the occasion of National Technology Day.
“The National Technology Day is a big day for our country. We salute and commend the scientists of this country who have dedicated their life and work for the scientific advancements of India... Over the last nine years, we have laid a strong foundation so that India can move forward and make notable advancements in the field of technology,” PM Modi said in his address.
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The celebration of National Technology Day was started by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 1999 to honour Indian scientists, engineers and technologists, who worked for India’s scientific and technological advancement and ensured the successful conduct of Pokhran tests in May 1998.
Since then, National Technology Day is observed every year on May 11.
PM Modi also laid the foundation stone for LIGO-India, Hingoli; Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Jatni, Odisha; and Platinum Jubilee Block of Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai.
LIGO-India, which is coming up in Hingoli, Maharashtra, is one of the handful laser interferometer gravitational wave observatories in the world and an extremely sensitive interferometer of 4 km arm length capable of sensing gravitational waves generated during the merger of massive astrophysical objects such as black holes, and neutron stars.
The LIGO-India will work in synchronisation with two such observatories operating in the United States; one in Hanford, Washington and the other in Livingston, Louisiana.
He also dedicated the Rare Earth Permanent Magnet Plant in Vishakhapatnam to the country.
The facility will mark the entry of India into a league of nations that can produce rare earth permanent magnets.
It has been developed on the campus of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre at Visakhapatnam.
The facility has been established based on indigenous technology and using indigenous rare earth material extracted from indigenous resources.
PM Modi also announced the foundation of the National Hadron Beam Therapy Facility of Tata Memorial Centre in Navi Mumbai, which is a state-of-the-art facility which works to undertake highly precise delivery of radiation to the tumour with minimal dose to the surrounding normal structures.
The precise delivery of dose to target tissue reduces the early and delayed side effects of radiation therapy.
Fission Molybdenum-99 Production Facility, located in Trombay Campus of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, was another project that was dedicated to the country on Thursday.
Molybdenum-99 is the parent of Technetium-99m, which is used in more than 85% of imaging procedures for early detection of cancer, heart disease, among others.
The facility is expected to enable about 9-10 lakh patient scans every year.
