India, a land of a billion plus people achieving feats no one ever imagined. That’s how aptly you can concoct present India’s definition in words. While we are still largely a developing country, there are certain areas where we stand far above the developed nations. Here are 10 things that will make you proud!
1. Legendary Expertise In High Altitude Mountain Warfare
Sharing borders with nuclear-armed archrivals like China and Pakistan called for impeccable mountain warfare training. So, the Indian army went ahead and became the best in the world. The High Altitude Warfare School in Gulmarg, Kashmir, is so renowned that mighty armies like the U.S., British and German armies periodically come to train with us. Also, the Indian army’s triumph over the Siachin glacier is nothing short of stupendous gallantry.
2. Undisputed Remote Sensing Capabilities
A few decades ago, India was heavily dependent on satellite data from America. As a result of this slow process, 20,000 people died during the 1999 Odisha cyclone. Fast forward to 2015, India’s remote sensing capabilities are far ahead of that of the U.S. Today, we have satellites backing a variety of applications including groundwater prospect mapping, crop acreage and production estimation, potential fishing zone forecasting based on chlorophyll and sea surface temperature, biodiversity characterization, detailed impact assessment of watershed development projects, generation of natural resources data/information, etc.
3. Most Intelligent Nuclear Program Using ‘Thorium’
While countries around the world struggled to find the replacement for Uranium as a nuclear fuel, India’s nuclear program was already thriving on Thorium. Since India was naturally rich in Thorium deposits, our brilliant scientists made use of it instead of Uranium (Uranium 238) as fuel and surprised the whole world.
4. Contribution Of Yoga And Ayurveda
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Debate this as much as you want but yoga has become a rage across the globe. And who else is to thank but India. Yogananda talked about the physical and eternal benefits of yoga that are now being actively confirmed by modern medical science.
5. First Asian Nation And Fourth Country In The World To Reach Mars’ Orbit
The entire world knows about India’s Mars Mission; it needs no introduction. Not only did India become the 1st Asian nation and the 4th country in the world to reach Mars’ orbit but we did it most cost effectively too. At 450 crores, it’s the least expensive Mars orbital mission ever commissioned.
6. The Third Largest Army To Walk On Earth
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The more you praise the Indian army, the less it seems. With 1,129,900 active troops and 960,000 reserve troops, the Indian army is the 3rd largest army to walk our planet. Also, it’s an all-volunteer force and comprises more than 80% of the country's active defence personnel.
7. Second Largest Number Of Internet Users In The World
Our future rests in the hands of ‘The Internet’ and nobody drives the force of the web other than its users. After China, India has the most number of internet users on the planet. At only 29% penetration, India has 354,000,000 people using the net. This puts us way ahead of countries like US, Japan and Russia where the penetration rate is much higher.
8. Nuclear Assets (Weapons And Reactors)
In a short span of 66 years, India’s nuclear capabilities have tremendously grown. We rank number one in the development of thorium-based fast breeder reactors; we also have 21 nuclear reactors in operation in 7 nuclear power plants, having an installed capacity of 5780 MW. Six more reactors are under construction. According to Federation of American Scientists, India has an estimated backlog of 75-110 nuclear weapons.
9. Fourth Most Feared Air Force In The World
With approximately 1,820 aircrafts in service, 905 Combat Planes, 595 Fighters and 310 Attackers, the IAF is the fourth largest air force in the world. This puts us ahead of Germany, Britain and every other developed European country.
10. Second Largest IT Industry In The World
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The growth of the Indian IT scene has been monstrous. Thanks to this growth, our IT sector is the 2nd largest in the world. What’s even better is that in about another five years, we will take over China and sit tight on the number one spot.
