Abstract. The immense potential of high temperature superconductivity for technological use has kept the subject alive ever since its discovery. Though the mechanism of high temperature superconductivity still remains elusive, a lot of progress has been made resulting in a major reduction in the number of proposed mechanisms under consideration. At present, electron phonon interaction or spin fluctuations are considered to be central to the mechanism of superconductivity. While the transition temperature has not been improved over the last few years and room temperature superconductivity may not be achieved in near future, many technological applications are in use and being constantly improved. New materials with a better promise are also being discovered. This paper attempts to look back at the progress made so far on all fronts and elucidate the challenges of understanding the mechanism and achieving room temperature superconductivity.

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