National Science Day 2022: Why the day is celebrated on February 28; know its history, significance

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National Science Day (NSD) is celebrated every year on February 28 in India, to commemorate the remarkable work of Indian physicist CV Raman in the field of light scattering. Raman is known as one of the greatest scientists and an inspiration to many. Theme-based science communication activities are carried out all over the country on the occasion of National Science Day.  

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also greeted all scientists and science enthusiasts on National Science Day.

History of National Science Day

In 1986, the Government designated the day as National Science Day as on this day Sir CV Raman announced the discovery of the 'Raman Effect' for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1930.  The Government designated the day as National Science Day in 1986 as on this day, Sir CV Raman announced the discovery of the 'Raman Effect' for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1930. 

National Science Day 2022: Theme 

On National Science Day, theme-based science communication activities are carried out all over the country. This year's National Science Day 2022 Theme is "Integrated Approach in Science and Technology for Sustainable Future."

On the occasion of the first National Science Day (28 February 1987), the NCSTC had announced the institution of the National Science Popularization awards for recognizing outstanding efforts in the area of science and communication.

National Science Day 2022: Here are some facts about the day

National Council for Science & Technology Communication (NCSTC) of the Department of Science & Technology (DST) is a nodal agency to support catalyze and coordinate the celebration of the National Science Day throughout the country, particularly in scientific institutions & research laboratories. 

DST instituted National Awards in 1987 to stimulate, encourage and recognize outstanding efforts in the area of science popularization and communication and in promoting scientific temper.

Sir CV Raman, who received the highest civilian award from his home country, the Bharat Ratna, in 1954, began his experiments for studying the scattering of light; and thus came the Raman Spectroscopy for observing the vibrational, rotational and other low frequency modes in a system. This is commonly used in chemical laboratories and serves as the 'fingerprint' for the substance from which the light is scattered.

According to the academy citation, the Nobel Prize in Physics 1930 was awarded to Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman "for his work on the scattering of light and for the discovery of the effect named after him".

Who was Sir CV Raman

Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman was an Indian physicist known mainly for his work in the field of light scattering. With his student KS Krishnan, he discovered that when light traverses a transparent material, some of the deflected light changes wavelength and amplitude. This phenomenon was a new type of scattering of light and was subsequently termed the Raman effect (Raman scattering). 

Raman won the 1930 Nobel Prize in Physics and was the first Asian person to receive a Nobel Prize in any branch of science.

Raman retired from the Indian Institute of Science in 1948 and established the Raman Research Institute in Bangalore a year later. He served as its director and remained active there until his death in 1970.

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