National Science Day 2021: know history, significance, theme for this year

February 28 is observed as National Science Day to mark the anniversary of India’s greatest discovery- ‘Raman effect’ and to recognise the contributions of scientists towards the development of the nation.

On this day in 1928, India’s prominent scientist CV Raman invented the ‘Raman Effect,’ for which he won the Nobel prize in 1930. Today, the government of India felicitates scientists whose contribution played an eminent role in the field of science and innovation.

The theme for National Science Day 2021 is “Future of STI: Impacts on Education, Skills, and Work”. The theme has been chosen for the purpose of raising public appreciation of the scientific issues involved and the impacts science has on education, skill and work.

In 1986, the National Council for Science and Technology Communication (NCSTC) asked the Government to pronounce February 28 as National Science Day. The first National Science Day was celebrated in 1987.

A renowned scientist- Dr. CV Raman was born on November 7, 1888, in Tamil Nadu. He did his bachelors and masters in Physics from the Presidency College in Madras. He was eventually felicitated by the Indian government for his role in the field of science. Not only the Raman effect, but he also did several other scientific discoveries- harmonic nature of the tabla and mridangam, and the optical behavior of many pigmented materials. He was also awarded the highest civilian award in 1954.