India Celebrates National Science Day: Honouring C.V. Raman
Every year on February 28th, India celebrates National Science Day, a day dedicated to commemorating a groundbreaking scientific discovery and promoting a love of science across the country. The day marks the anniversary of Indian physicist C.V. Raman's discovery of the Raman Effect in 1928, a breakthrough in the world of physics.
What's the Raman Effect:
The Raman Effect, in simple terms, describes what happens when light passes through a transparent material. While most of the light continues on its original path, a tiny fraction gets scattered in different directions. This scattering isn't random; it's caused by the light interacting with the molecules of the material. typically, the scattered light changes its wavelength (and therefore its color).
This change in wavelength happens in two ways:
- Stokes Shift (Energy Loss): Imagine a photon of light bumping into a molecule and giving it a little bit of its energy. The molecule starts vibrating, and the photon bounces off with less energy, resulting in a longer wavelength (think of it like the light shifting towards the red end of the spectrum). This is the most common type of Raman scattering.
- Anti-Stokes Shift (Energy Gain): Sometimes, a molecule that's already vibrating with extra energy bumps into a photon and gives it some energy. The scattered light then has more energy and a shorter wavelength (shifting towards the blue end of the spectrum).
This seemingly small phenomenon has huge implications. Scientists use Raman spectroscopy, a technique based on the Raman Effect, to identify materials, study chemical structures, measure temperatures, and even diagnose diseases. It's used in fields as diverse as chemistry, physics, medicine, and forensics.
C.V. Raman: Nobel Prize-Winning Legacy
C.V. Raman's discovery was a monumental achievement. It earned him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930, making him the first Indian to receive the honour in a scientific field. His work continues to inspire many scientists and researchers even today.
National Science Day 2025:
Since 1986, India has celebrated National Science Day to honor Raman's legacy and to encourage scientific experimentation. The theme for 2025, "Empowering Indian Youth for Global Leadership in Science and Innovation for Viksit Bharat," highlights the importance of nurturing young talent in science and technology. It's a day to celebrate the power of scientific research and its applied application to shape a better future. The day acknowledges and recognises our pride scientist C V Raman.
