India's first supercomputer

Question

Vedantu Content Team · Accepted Answer

Answer: Param

Explanation:

Param holds the prestigious distinction of being India's first indigenously developed supercomputer. This revolutionary computing machine was developed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) in Pune under the visionary leadership of computer scientist Dr. Vijay Bhatkar.

The development of Param began in the late 1980s as part of India's ambitious goal to achieve technological self-reliance in high-performance computing. The project was launched when the United States denied India access to supercomputing technology due to concerns about its potential military applications. This denial became a blessing in disguise, as it motivated Indian scientists to develop their own supercomputing capabilities.

Param 8000, the first model in the series, was unveiled in 1991 and had a computing speed of 1 gigaflops (one billion floating-point operations per second). This achievement was remarkable considering the limited resources and the fact that it was built using commercially available microprocessors rather than expensive specialized chips used in Western supercomputers.

The name "Param" itself is quite meaningful - it's a Sanskrit word meaning "supreme" or "ultimate," which perfectly reflects the ambitions behind this groundbreaking project. The success of Param marked India's entry into the exclusive club of countries capable of building supercomputers, joining nations like the United States, Japan, and European countries.

Following the success of Param 8000, C-DAC continued to develop more advanced versions of the supercomputer. Param 8600, launched in 1993, achieved speeds of 5 gigaflops. The series continued to evolve with models like Param 10000, Param Padma, and Param Yuva, each representing significant improvements in computational power and efficiency.

The applications of Param extended across various fields including weather forecasting, seismic data analysis, aerospace engineering, pharmaceutical research, and defense applications. Its development not only solved India's immediate computing needs but also established the foundation for the country's high-performance computing ecosystem that continues to thrive today.