In 1930, Sir C.V. Raman, one of the renowned Physicist of India, received the Nobel Prize for his enormous discovery of ‘Raman effect’ which was invented on 28^th of February, 1928. This gave Asia its first Nobel in Physics and as an Indian Scientist, Sir Raman received Asia’s first award in science.

To memorise the day and to honour this discovery, Government of India decided to recognise the day as “National Science Day” after receiving a proposal from National Council for Science and Technology Communication (NCSTC) in 1986. Since then, we celebrate this day in India every year on 28^th of February.

In our daily life, science is used for all the efforts, activities, achievements and the innovations towards human welfare. To recognise each and every step of development by means of science and technology, we celebrate the ‘Science Day’. This celebration may also encourage the young generation to think and to understand the presence of science in their regular events.

If we try a little to understand about ‘Raman effect’, we would realize that it has a huge impact on the field of light. It helps in explaining various natural phenomenons like appearance of blue sky, advanced sunrise, delayed sunset, appearance of red sky during sunrise and sunset etcetera. ‘Raman effect’ elaborately explains the science behind this – ‘The change in the wavelength of light beam is deflected by molecules of a medium’.

“Science for a Sustainable Future”- is the theme for National Science Day, this year. This theme underscores the critical role that Science and Technology play in tackling the issues and challenges and creating a more renewable future for all.

The purposes of remembering the day are to

• Inspire young people to pursue career in Science and Technology
• Providing a platform for showcasing scientific advancements and innovations
• Most importantly, to congratulate all the respected scientists for their dedication and diligence towards science.

Dr. Puspita Das Roy,

Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, DAITM