Prime Minister Narendra Modi looks inside the crew training simulator during his visit to Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman S. Somanath in Thiruvananthapuram on February 27, 2024.
| Photo Credit: ANI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 28 greeted people on National Science Day and said his government is continuously working to encourage research and innovation among the youth.

The day is observed to commemorate the discovery of the ‘Raman effect‘ by scientist C.V. Raman, who won the Nobel prize in physics for the groundbreaking finding.

Mr. Modi said on X, “Greetings on National Science Day. Our Government is continuously working to encourage research and innovation among the youth. This is important to realise our dream of a Viksit Bharat.”

National Science Day is celebrated every year in India on February 28 to honour the discovery of a phenomenon of the scattering of photons by Indian scientist Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman in 1928. The discovery was later named as ‘Raman Effect’ after his name. Mr Raman was awarded the Nobel Prize for science in 1930 for the remarkable discovery. On this day, schools, colleges, universities and other academic, scientific, technical, medical and research institutions organise quiz competitions, seminars and other events.

What is Raman Effect?

According to the website of the Ministry of Culture, Raman Effect is a phenomenon in spectroscopy, which is defined as the scattering of photons by excited molecules at higher energy levels. In simple terms, it is the change in the wavelength of light that occurs when a light beam is deflected by molecules.

When a beam of light traverses a dust-free, transparent sample of a chemical compound, a small fraction of the light emerges in directions other than those of the incident (incoming) beam. Most of this scattered light is of an unchanged wavelength. A small part, however, has wavelengths different from those of the incident light; its presence is a result of the Raman Effect.

History of National Science Day

The National Council for Science and Technology Communication (NCSTC), in 1986, asked the Government of India to announce February 28 as National Science Day. The government accepted and declared the day as National Science Day. The first National Science Day was celebrated on February 28, 1987.

Why National Science Day is celebrated?

According to the government, its purpose is to widely spread the message about significance of scientific applications in the daily lives of people, recognise achievements in the field of science, discuss all the issues and implement new technologies for the development of science, give an opportunity to the scientific-minded citizens in the country and encourage people as well as popularise science and technology.

Theme for National Science Day 2024

The theme for this year’s Science Day is ‘Indigenous Technologies for Viksit Bharat’.