It is almost time to bid adieu to 2023 and say hello to the New Year. As the year departs, it becomes customary to take a look back at the major developments that defined 2023. If we scroll through the achievements, we can say it was a great year for India.
Not only did the country become the first in the world to soft land on the southern pole of the Moon, but India also passed the historic Women’s Reservation Bill in Parliament this year. Although the Indian team’s loss at the ICC Cricket World Cup broke billions of hearts, Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra’s gold at the World Athletics Championships was a soothing balm for fans.
Before 2023 comes to an end, let’s turn the pages to take a look at some of India’s biggest moments this year.
India’s giant leap to the Moon
India scripted history on 23 August as its Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft successfully landed on the Moon. With this feat, India became the first country to soft land on the south pole of the lunar surface and the fourth nation to safely land a robotic probe on the Earth’s only natural satellite. This was done earlier by only the United States, China and the erstwhile Soviet Union.
As the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief S Somanath said after the successful landing, “India is on the Moon”. The ambitious lunar journey that began on 14 July reached a historic stage more than a month later.
On Chandrayaan-3‘s success, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said: “We are witness to the new flight of new India. New history has been written”. Hailing the landing as a “victory cry of a developed India”, he said that “this success belongs to all of humanity”.
ISRO received global praise for the landmark achievement which bolstered India’s position as a major space power.
India’s G20 success
India hosted the 18th Group of 20 (G20) Summit in New Delhi in September after assuming the presidency of the powerful bloc last December. From US president Joe Biden to British prime minister Rishi Sunak, several heads of state, along with leaders of international organisations, had descended on the National Capital for the high-profile conclave.
India attained significant goals during the two-day conclave, including the African Union’s inclusion as a member of the grouping. With this, India walked its talk on being the voice of the Global South.
The 55-member grouping of African nations is the second regional bloc to become a permanent member of the G20 bloc after the European Union (EU).
Following intense negotiations, the G20 Summit also adopted a consensus declaration despite major differences among the bloc nations over the wording of Russia’s war in Ukraine and issues such as climate. The consensus document was a big victory for India’s presidency otherwise it would have been the first time in 20 years that there was no G20 Leaders’ Declaration.
The India-Middle East-Europe mega economic corridor was also announced on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Delhi. The multinational rail and ports deal, which plans to link India with the Middle East and eventually Europe, is being seen as a counter to China’s Belt and Road initiative.
Women’s Reservation Bill
In September, the Lok Sabha passed a bill granting reservation to women in one-third of the total number of seats in the state legislative assemblies and Lok Sabha. Also known as the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, the legislation aims to bring gender parity into the political arena.
The Rajya Sabha also cleared the Bill unanimously, with President Droupadi Murmu giving her assent later.
The law will, however, come into force after the next census and the subsequent delimitation exercise. After the redrawing of the Lok Sabha and Assembly constituencies, it will be decided which seats are to be reserved for women.
Nonetheless, the passing of the legislation is significant as it is almost three decades that the Bill was first introduced in Parliament in September 1996.
Uttarakhand tunnel rescue
The eyes of the world were on this daring rescue operation in November. As many as 41 construction workers got trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand on 12 November after its portion collapsed.
While rescuers and authorities did not leave any stone unturned to get these workers out, the victims’ ordeal ended only after 17 days. The stars of the operation were rat-hole miners who completed the final stage of the rescue mission.
It was not just the families of these trapped workers who erupted in joy when they saw the light of the day, but the entire nation.
India’s New Parliament building
In May, PM Narendra Modi inaugurated India’s new Parliament building, which he called the “evidence of self-reliant India”.
“This is not just a building. It is a reflection of the aspirations and dreams of 1.4 billion Indians. This is the temple of our democracy and it’s giving the message of India’s determination to the world,” he said at the time.
He also installed a historically important gold sceptre, called the sengol, in the new Parliament building.
However, the inauguration of the four-storey structure was boycotted by dozens of Opposition parties, including the Congress, who argued that President Droupadi Mourmu should have opened the building.
India shines at Oscars
Indian films made the country proud at the 95th Academy Awards. While SS Rajamouli’s magnum opus RRR won the ‘Best Original Song’ Oscar for Naatu Naatu, Kartiki Gonsalves’ documentary short The Elephant Whisperers bagged the award in its category.
Both the victories were a first for India. RRR, starring Ram Charan and Jr NTR, is the first Indian film to win an Oscar in the original song category. Similarly, The Elephant Whisperers penned history for India by winning the Oscars for the best documentary short.
Neeraj Chopra: India’s ‘Golden’ boy
Neeraj Chopra became the first Indian to win a gold medal at the World Athletics Championship in August, defeating Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem in the men’s javelin. Chopra threw the javelin at a distance of 88.17 meters, the highest in the event. “After the Olympic gold I really wanted to win the world championships. I just wanted to throw further. This is brilliant for the national team but it was my dream to win gold at the world championships,” he said at the time. Nadeem achieved 87.82 to clinch the silver medal. The third spot was secured by Jakub Vadlejch of the Czech Republic, with a 86.67 meters throw in the final.
In September, Chopra ended second at the Diamond League final at Eugene with a best effort of 83.80m, with Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Jakub Vadlejch emerging as the winner with a best throw of 84.24m.
U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup
The country had much to celebrate in January itself as India beat England in the first-ever ICC U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup final. Captain Shafali Verma and Co trounced England by seven wickets in the final.
This was the first women’s cricket team to have won a world championship. PM Modi described their triumph as a thrilling and inspiring moment for the country.
Milestone at Asian Games 2023
Indian athletes added another feather to the country’s cap by winning more than 100 medals at the Asian Games for the first time. The Indian contingent that participated in the 19th Asian Games in China’s Hangzhou amassed a total of 28 gold, 38 silver, and 41 bronze medals.
Over 12,000 athletes from all 45 members of the Olympic Council of Asia competed at the games, with China bagging the most medals at 383, followed by Japan at 188.
World’s longest river cruise
In January, India launched the world’s longest river cruise – MV Ganga Vilas. Flagged off by PM Modi from Varanasi, the ship traversed for 51 days covering a distance of 3,200 km, crossing 27 river systems and multiple states before culminating its journey in Assam’s Dibrugarh in February. This made-in-India cruise vessel has three decks and 18 suites on board. The luxury cruise, which can carry 36 passengers, costs Rs 20 lakh per person. Source: Firstpost