๐ Topic 01 of 6 ยท Chapter 02 ยท Defence Technology & DRDO
DRDO โ Organisation & Key Labs
Founded 1958, APJ Abdul Kalam, IGMDP, key laboratories โ complete notes for UPSC & PSC exams.
๐ก๏ธ DRDO โ Key Facts
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Defence Research and Development Organisation |
| Founded | 1958 (by merging TDE and DTDP) |
| Headquarters | New Delhi |
| Under | Ministry of Defence |
| Laboratories | 50+ labs across India |
| “Missile Man of India” | Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam โ former DRDO chief; later 11th President of India |
| Key Programme | IGMDP (Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme) โ 1983 |
| Mission | Design, develop, and lead to production state-of-the-art defence systems |
๐ก๏ธ Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam โ “Missile Man of India”
- Born: October 15, 1931 in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu
- Joined DRDO in 1958; later moved to ISRO; returned to DRDO
- Chief architect of IGMDP (Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme) โ 1983
- Developed Agni, Prithvi, Akash, Nag, Trishul missiles
- Also worked on India’s nuclear weapons programme (Pokhran-II, 1998)
- Became 11th President of India (2002-2007) โ “People’s President”
- Died: July 27, 2015 in Shillong while delivering a lecture
- October 15 = World Students’ Day (his birthday)
๐ก๏ธ Key DRDO Laboratories
| Lab | Location | Specialisation |
|---|---|---|
| DRDL (Defence Research and Development Laboratory) | Hyderabad | Missile systems; Agni, BrahMos, Akash |
| CVRDE (Combat Vehicles R&D Establishment) | Chennai | Arjun Main Battle Tank; armoured vehicles |
| ADE (Aeronautical Development Establishment) | Bengaluru | Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs); Rustom drone |
| CAIR (Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics) | Bengaluru | AI, robotics, autonomous systems for defence |
| INMAS (Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences) | New Delhi | Nuclear medicine; radiation protection |
| DIBER (Defence Institute of Bio-Energy Research) | Haldwani, Uttarakhand | High-altitude biology; cold region research |
| DRDE (Defence Research and Development Establishment) | Gwalior | Chemical and biological warfare protection |
๐ก๏ธ IGMDP โ Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme
- Launched in 1983 under Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
- Aimed to develop 5 missile systems indigenously
- Agni โ ballistic missile (surface-to-surface)
- Prithvi โ surface-to-surface short-range ballistic missile
- Akash โ surface-to-air missile (air defence)
- Nag โ anti-tank guided missile
- Trishul โ short-range surface-to-air missile (now retired)
- Programme formally closed in 2008 after achieving objectives
- Made India self-reliant in missile technology
โญ Key Exam Points:
โข DRDO founded = 1958; HQ = New Delhi; 50+ labs
โข “Missile Man of India” = Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
โข IGMDP (1983) = Agni + Prithvi + Akash + Nag + Trishul
โข DRDL (Hyderabad) = missile systems; CVRDE (Chennai) = Arjun tank
โข Dr. Kalam = 11th President of India (2002-2007)
โข DRDO founded = 1958; HQ = New Delhi; 50+ labs
โข “Missile Man of India” = Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
โข IGMDP (1983) = Agni + Prithvi + Akash + Nag + Trishul
โข DRDL (Hyderabad) = missile systems; CVRDE (Chennai) = Arjun tank
โข Dr. Kalam = 11th President of India (2002-2007)