National Science Day is celebrated every year on February 28 to mark and recognise the contributions of scientists towards the development of the country. On this day, in 1928, Indian physicist Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman, popularly known as CV Raman, made an important discovery in the field of spectroscopy, which was later named after him, the Raman Effect. For his work, CV Raman was awarded the prestigious Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930.
Raman Effect: The phenomenon of light-scattering
Raman Effect, also known as Raman Scattering, is the change in the wavelength of light that occurs when it is deflected by molecules. A light beam traversing through a transparent sample of a chemical compound sees a small fraction of the light emerging in a different direction to that of the incoming beam. A small part of that light has a differing wavelength from the incident light. This is because of the phenomenon known as Raman Effect.
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Origin
At the age of 19, CV Raman completed his masters, and had built a strong reputation as a leading scientist both in India and in the West. In the same year, 1921, he made his first journey to England. It was on the return that Raman observed the stark blue colour of the Mediterranean Sea and pondered why it was blue rather than green. He postulated that the sea’s blue colour resulted from light being scattered by the water molecules, and this hypothesis led him to further investigate light scattering.
Seven years after this journey, Raman and his student KS Krishnan were able to prove through tests that light’s wavelength and frequency also change as it scatters through a transparent object.
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How it is celebrated
Various programs are organised across the country to mark the National Science Day celebrations and motivate students to opt for science as their career. The Department of Science and Technology (DST also started the National Awards for Science Popularisation in February 1987 to recognise contributions to science through awards.
The National Council for Science and Technology Communication (NCSTC), Department of Science and Technology (DST), acts as a nodal agency to support and coordinate the celebration of the National Science Day.
DST also started the National Awards for Science Popularization in February 1987 to recognise outstanding efforts in science. The awards are given out on National Science Day and encompass six categories.
