National Science Day
When is National Science Day Celebrated?
National Science Day is celebrated in India on the 28th of February every year to recognize the significance of C. V. Raman’s achievement of discovering the Raman Effect. It has been celebrated with great vigor and enthusiasm since 1987.
History - Why is National Science Day celebrated?
In 1986, the National Council for Science and Technology Communication (NCSTC) requested the Indian Government to commemorate the day C. V. Raman discovered the Raman Effect (February 28) as National Science Day. Today, it is celebrated all over India in schools, colleges, universities, and other scientific, academic, medical, technical, and research institutions. On the first national Science Day (28th of February 1987), the NCSTC announced that they would be conducting the National Science Popularization awards to award people who have made recognizing outstanding achievements in the field of science and communication.
What is the Raman Effect?
Raman effect states that a change in wavelength of light occurs when a beam of light is deflected by molecules. When a beam of light passes through a transparent sample of a chemical compound, a tiny fraction of the light emerges in directions other than the beam striking that surface. Most of this scattered light is of the wavelength of the incident beam. A small portion of the incident beam will have wavelengths that are different from the incident ray. This is what C. V. Raman observed on the 28th of February, 1928.
The discovery of this effect was a great pathbreaker in the realm of physics because it provided proof regarding the quantum nature of light. It revolutionized multiple several domains of science and forms the basis of various applications in these fields. In fact, it was so crucial to science in general that he was awarded a knighthood by the British Indian Government as well as the Nobel Prize in Physics for his achievements in Physics.
Theme
Every year, National Science Day has a certain theme around which a lot of exhibitions, public speeches, TV, radio, science movies, debates, quiz competitions, lectures, science model exhibitions, and several other activities. Here is the list of themes of previous National Science Days so far:
- 1999 - Our Changing Earth
- 2000 - Recreating Interest in Basic Science
- 2001 - Information Technology for Science Education
- 2002 - Wealth From Waste
- 2003 - 50 years of DNA & 25 years of IVF – The Blueprint of Life
- 2004 - Encouraging Scientific Awareness in Community
- 2005 - Celebrating Physics
- 2006 - Nurture Nature for our future
- 2007 - More Crop Per Drop
- 2008 - Understanding the Planet Earth
- 2009 - Expanding Horizons of Science
- 2010 - Gender Equity, Science & Technology for Sustainable Development
- 2011 - Chemistry in Daily Life
- 2012 - Clean Energy Options and Nuclear Safety
- 2013 - Genetically Modified Crops and Food Security
- 2014 - Fostering Scientific Temper
- 2015 - Science for Nation Building
- 2016 - Scientific Issues for Development of the Nation
- 2017 - Science and Technology for Specially Abled Persons
- 2018 - Science and Technology for a sustainable future
- 2019 - Science for the People, and the People for Science
- 2020 - Women in Science
- 2021 - Future of STI: Impact on Education Skills and Work
The theme for the year 2022 was announced on January 12th, 2022 and it was:
“Integrated Approach in Science and Technology for a Sustainable Future”.
Conclusion
The education system has come a long way, and it needs to continue on its way to being more inclusive and student-centric. Teachers need to aspire towards making their classes more culturally diverse and systematic. Instead of pushing for what parents and teachers expect, we should be helping them achieve what they want, and if they are unsure, helping them realize it. This National Science Day, let us push for fewer engineers, doctors, and lawyers and make an effort towards making education more inclusive, student-oriented, and above all, fun and exciting.
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