Context
Recently, the 64th foundation day of “Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)” has been celebrated on January 1, 2022.
About DRDO
- DRDO was established on January 1, 1958 after merging Directorate of Technical Development & Production of Indian Ordnance Factories and Technical Development Establishment, with Defence Science Organisation.
- In 1979, Defence Research & Development Service (DRDS) was set up as a service of Group ‘A’ Officers / Scientists.
- A separate Department of Defence Research and Development was formed in 1980 which later on administered DRDO and its 50 laboratories/establishments.
- It comes under the Ministry of Defence (Raksha Mantralay).
Major achievements of the Organization
- In 63 years, DRDO has transformed the landscape of defence research and development in India.
- DRDO also played a significant role in fighting against COVID-19 pandemic.
- It set up around 850 oxygen plants and Covid hospitals with the help from the PM CARES Fund.
- It also developed a medicine named 2DG, to fight covid-19.
- Synergy with the defence industry with respect to development and production has reached to new heights in India, with more than 175 transfers of technologies happening in 2021 alone.
- At that time, it was tasked with designing and developing cutting edge defence technologies for the Indian Armed Forces.
- As of now, DRDO is working in multiple cutting edge military technology areas, which include aeronautics, armaments, combat vehicles, electronics, instrumentation, engineering systems, missiles, materials, naval systems, advanced computing, simulation, cyber, life sciences and other technologies for defence.
