12 Years of Technological Transformation Has Laid the Foundation of Viksit Bharat 2047: Dr Jitendra Singh

📌 Summary:

• MoS S&T (IC) Dr. Jitendra Singh said the last 12 years of technological transformation have laid the foundation for Viksit Bharat @2047; India has moved from "technology follower" to "technology leader"

• Policy framing: PM Modi placed S&T at the centre of national policy — encouraging private-sector participation, innovation-led entrepreneurship, and translation of scientific advances into citizen benefits

• Space sector: opened to private participation; space startups grown from single digits to 400+; space economy currently ~USD 9 billion, projected to expand significantly; space tech supports communications, infrastructure planning, governance, disaster management, agriculture and national security

• Nuclear energy: advancement of Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) called a major milestone in the 3-stage nuclear programme of Dr. Homi Bhabha; recent reforms allow greater private participation in the nuclear sector → opportunities for startups and tech-driven enterprises

• Quantum technologies: India has achieved nearly half of its targeted 2,000-km quantum communication capability in the initial years of the National Quantum Mission; positions India among select countries at the cutting edge of quantum science

• Biotechnology: India preparing for a biotech-driven industrial transformation under the BioE3 Policy; ongoing initiatives — genome sequencing, rare disease diagnosis & treatment, indigenous drug development, gene-therapy breakthroughs

• Cross-cutting message: scientific capabilities + innovation ecosystem + tech infrastructure built over 12 years now underpin economic growth, strategic capability and public-service delivery simultaneously

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS3 — Science & Technology achievements; indigenisation; emerging tech (quantum, AI, biotech, space, nuclear); innovation ecosystem; Viksit Bharat 2047 roadmap; private-sector participation in strategic sectors.

📝 Prelims Facts:

• National Quantum Mission: approved 2023; ₹6,003.65 crore outlay (2023–2031); 2,000-km satellite-based secure quantum communications backbone is a key deliverable
• BioE3 Policy: notified 2024; pillars — Biotechnology for Economy, Environment & Employment
• India's space economy (2026): ~USD 9 billion; space startups: 400+
• Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR): located at Kalpakkam (BHAVINI); part of Stage-2 of India's three-stage nuclear programme
• Three-stage nuclear programme: Stage 1 PHWR (natural uranium) → Stage 2 Fast Breeder Reactor (plutonium) → Stage 3 Thorium-based reactors (U-233)

🔑 Key Term: Three-Stage Nuclear Programme — Dr. Homi Bhabha's strategy for India's nuclear energy autonomy using domestic uranium and abundant thorium reserves, sequenced through PHWRs → Fast Breeder Reactors → Thorium reactors.