National Science Day 2024: Date, theme, importance and history

Every year 28 February is celebrated as National Science Day (NSD) in India. This day is celebrated to commemorate the discovery of 'Raman Effect' by Sir Chandrashekhar Venkata Raman.

Theme of National Science Day 2024:

• Every year on 28 February a certain theme is selected to celebrate National Science Day. Similarly, the theme of NSD 2024 is “IndigenousTechnology for Viksit Bharat.”
• While the theme of National Science Day 2023 was 'Global Science for Global Wellbeing'.

Importance of National Science Day:

• On the occasion of NSD, the whole country celebrates it as a science festival by organizing workshops, exhibitions of science films, seminars etc.
• Its main objective is to create scientific thinking in the minds of people. People of all age groups gather together in large numbers to participate in the NSD celebrations. Engage in activities like quiz competitions, debates, and projects to celebrate National Science Day.

History of National Science Day:

• In 1928, Sir Chandrashekhar Venkata Raman, an Indian scientist, discovered a phenomenon known as the Raman effect. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for his remarkable discovery in 1930. Which was India's first Nobel Prize in science. National Science Day is celebrated every year to mark this discovery.
• In 1986, the National Council for Science and Technology Communication advised the Government of India to designate 28 February as NSD. Which was accepted by the government and declared 28 February as National Science Day in 1986.
• Hence, the first National Science Day was celebrated on February 28, 1987.

About the Raman Effect, Light Scattering:

• This phenomenon involves a shift in the wavelength of light when it interacts with molecules, causing it to scatter. When a beam of light travels through a dust-free, transparent sample of a chemical compound, a small fraction of the light emerges in a direction other than the incident light.
• The wavelength of most scattered light is unchanged, and in small part, if the wavelength differs from the wavelength of the incident light, this is due to the Raman effect.

Awards received by CV Raman:

• CV Raman was honored with many awards for his work in the field of science. Here are some of the main ones:
  • Matteucci Medal
  • Hughes Medal
  • Fellow of the Royal Society (1924)
  • Knight Bachelor (1929)
  • Nobel Prize in Physics (1930)
  • Bharat Ratna (1954)
  • Lenin Peace Prize (1957).

Brief Introduction of Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman (CV Raman):

• CV Raman was born on November 7, 1888 in Tiruchirappalli, southern India. His father held a position as a lecturer in both mathematics and physics. He had to face the educational environment at an early age. His scientific contributions and innovative research significantly benefited both India and the global community.
• Sir Chandrashekhar Venkata Raman was a Tamil Brahmin. He worked at the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Calcutta from 1907 to 1933. Here he did research on various topics of physics, one of which is the Raman effect. This is considered to be the biggest discovery in the field of science in Indian history.
• National Science Day is celebrated every year on 28 February to pay tribute to Nobel laureate Dr CV Raman.
• Born: November 7, 1888
• Place of Birth: Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu
• Father Name: R.Chandrashekhar Iyer
• Mother Name: Parvati Ammal
• Spouse Name: Lokasundari Ammal
• Died: November 21, 1970
• Place of death: Bangalore, India
• Discovery: Raman Effect