The National Science Day (NSD) is annually observed across India on 28th February to commemorate the day (28th February 1928) on which Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman (CV Raman) discovered the Raman effect.
- He won the Nobel Prize in Physics (1930) for his work on the scattering of light and for the discovery of the effect named after him, ‘The Raman effect’.
The National Science Week is celebrated from 22nd to 28th February 2022.
The theme of NSD 2022 is “Integrated Approach in Science and Technology for Sustainable Future”.
- The NSD is observed across India with theme-based science communication activities.
- The theme aims to raise public appreciation of scientific issues.
Background:
i.In 1986, the National Council for Science and Technology Communication (NCSTC) proposed to proclaim the 28th February of every year as the National Science Day and the Government of India designated 28 February of every year as National Science Day (NSD).
ii.The first National Science Day was observed on 28th February 1987.
- The Department of Science and Technology (DST), under the Ministry of Science and Technology, acts as a nodal agency to support, catalyze and coordinate the celebration of the NSD across India.
Vigyan Sarvatra Pujyate
Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State(MoS)(Independent charge) Science & Technology, and G Kishan Reddy, Union Minister of Tourism, Culture, jointly inaugurated the Vigyan Sarvatra Pujyate (means science & technology is revered all over), a pan-India program to celebrate the essence and magnificence of our scientific achievements.
- Vigyan Sarvatra Pujyate is a week-long celebration held from 22nd to 28th February 2022 from 75 locations in India, coordinated by Vigyan Prasar, under the aegis of the Ministry of Culture, Office of the Principal Scientific Advisor (PSA) and other Ministries of the Government of India.
- The valedictory function of the Vigyan Sarvatra Pujyate coincides with the National Science Day 2022(28th February).
Additional Info:
Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh also announced the creation of a Unified Science Media Centre, which will cut across all the departments to present the recent developments on science and technology.
- Vigyan Prasar, the Neutral nodal agency for science communication will be given this charge.
- The unified media centre will be catering to all kinds of media including print, electronic, social and digital media.
Awards:
The National Awards for Science Popularization and SERB Women Excellence Award are annually presented on the occasion of the National Science Day.
National Awards for Science Popularization:
The National Awards for Science Popularization was instituted by the DST to stimulate, encourage and recognize outstanding efforts in the area of science and technology communication.
SERB Women Excellence Award:
SERB Women Excellence Award was launched by the Science & Engineering Research Board (SERB), a statutory body of the DST supporting basic research in frontier areas of science and engineering.
- The award recognises women scientists below 40 years of age who have received recognition from any one or more of the National Academies such as the Young Scientist Medal, Young Associateship.
AWSAR Awards 2021:
Augmenting Writing Skills for Articulating Research (AWSAR) award is an initiative of DST to recognize the dissemination of Indian research in Science, Technology & Innovation being pursued by PhD Scholars and Post-Doctoral Fellows in popular science writing format.
Click here for the winners of AWSAR Award 2021
About Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman (CV Raman):
i.Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman (CV Raman) was born on 7th November 1888 in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu.
ii.He also founded the Indian Journal of Physics in 1926 and served as its Editor.
iii.He also sponsored the establishment of the Indian Academy of Sciences and has served as President since its inception
Awards & Honours:
i.He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1924 and he was knighted by the Colonial Government in 1929.
ii.The government of India honoured him with Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian honour of India in 1954.
iii.He also received the Lenin Peace Prize in Kremlin.
