National Science Day (NSD) is an annual event, hosted every year on February 28th to honor the groundbreaking discovery of the ‘Raman Effect’ by Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman, a phenomenon that won him the Nobel Prize in 1930. The inaugural NSD was celebrated in 1987 and since then, it has been a platform to promote and appreciate the significance of science and its practical applications.
The Fundamental Objective
The primary purpose of the National Science Day is to disseminate the core message of the importance of science and its application among the citizens. This mission is achieved by engaging with the populace through various means, including practical demonstrations, exhibitions, public debates, and workshops.
Theme for 2021
This year, the theme for the celebration is ‘Future of STI (Science, Technology and Innovations): Impacts on Education, Skills, and Work’. It aims to explore the potential impacts of scientific and technological advancements on various societal aspects including education methodologies, skill requirements, and employment opportunities.
Facilitation by Nodal Agency
The celebrations are supported by the National Council for Science & Technology Communication (NCSTC) of Ministry of Science and Technology. The agency organizes and promotes the NSD events at various levels.
Awards and Recognition
Every year, several awards are presented during NSD to recognize exceptional contributions in multiple fields of science and technology. These include the National S&T Communication Awards, Augmenting Writing Skills for Articulating Research (AWSAR) awards, SERB Women Excellence Awards and Rajendra Prabhu Memorial Appreciation Shield for excellent work in science media and journalism.
Augmenting Writing Skills for Articulating Research (AWSAR)
A significant initiative, AWSAR aims to popularize Indian research stories by translating them into an understandable and engaging format. Its objectives are to incentivize young researchers to promote their work, develop a scientific temperament through popular science writing and train early career researchers in popular science writing.
Recent Developments
A couple of significant recent developments include the proposed establishment of National Research Foundation (NRF) as per the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the Draft National Science, Technology and Innovation Policy (STIP 2020). The NRF aims to improve the ‘quality of research’ in India through funding, mentoring, and supporting researchers across various streams.
Understanding the Raman Effect
The Raman Effect involves inelastic scattering of a photon by molecules that are excited to higher energy levels. In simpler terms, it is a change in the wavelength of light that occurs when a light beam is deflected by molecules. This phenomenon forms the basis for Raman spectroscopy, a tool used by chemists and physicists to derive information about different materials.
Last Modified: February 10, 2024