National Science Day in India
Tejashree Anant Salvi
Introduction
You may be aware that the 28th of February is National Science Day in India, but do you know why and for what the day is celebrated? I'm also sure you've heard of renowned Indian scientist Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman. On this day in 1928, he discovered a phenomenon of photon scattering that became known as the 'Raman Effect' after his name. After two years, in 1930, he received the Nobel Prize for this extraordinary discovery, which was India's first Nobel Prize in Science. Every year on this day, National Science Day is observed in India to commemorate the discovery of his remarkable phenomena. The National Council for Science and Technology Communication (NCSTC) requested that the Government of India designate 28 February as National Science Day in 1986, which the then-Government of India agreed and designated the day as National Science Day in 1986. On February 28, 1987, the inaugural National Science Day was observed.
The Celebration's Goal:
The primary goal of observing National Science Day is to promote the message of the significance of science and its applications to the general public. Every year, National Science Day is observed as one of the major science festivals in India, with the following goals in mind:To extensively disseminate a message about the importance of scientific applications in people's everyday lives, to exhibit all actions, efforts, and successes in the area of science for the well being of human beings, To address all concerns and apply new technologies for the advancement of science; to provide an opportunity to the country's scientifically interested population; and to stimulate and popularize science and technology.
Activities on the Day:
Students from schools and universities present diverse science projects, while national and state science institutes present their most recent research. The event also includes public speeches, radio-TV discussion shows, scientific movie exhibits, science exhibitions based on topics and concepts, night sky viewing, live projects and research demonstrations, debates, quiz contests, lectures, science model displays, and many other activities.