National Science Day 2025

• 01 Mar 2025

Source: IE 

Why in News?  

India celebrates National Science Day (NSD) on 28th February annually to honor Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata (CV) Raman’s discovery of the Raman Effect in 1928.  

• The 2025 theme, “Empowering Indian Youth for Global Leadership in Science and Innovation for Viksit Bharat”, highlights the role of scientific innovation and youth leadership and aligns with the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision. 

Note: In 1986, the Government of India designated 28th February as National Science Day, which was first celebrated in 1987. 

What are the Key Facts About CV Raman? 

• Early Life: CV Raman was born on 7th November 1888, in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu. He earned his M.A. in Physics from Presidency College, Madras and contributed significantly to atomic physics and optics.  
  • He founded the Raman Research Institute (1948), Indian Journal of Physics (1926), and Indian Academy of Sciences (1934). 
  • His research spanned optics, light scattering, X-rays, acoustics, and sea colors, leading to the discovery of the Raman Effect. 
• Honors & Recognition: Knighted in 1929 by the British government, CV Raman won the 1930 Nobel Prize in Physics for Raman Effect, making him the first Asian to receive a Nobel Prize in science.  
  • He was also honored with the Bharat Ratna in 1954, India’s highest civilian award. 
• Raman Effect: It refers to the phenomenon where incoming excitation light interacts with a sample, undergoes a change in wavelength, and generates scattered light due to interactions with molecular vibrations. This phenomenon is known as Raman scattering. 
  • Applications of Raman Effect: It forms the basis of Raman Spectroscopy (analyzing molecular vibrations), widely used to study material properties.  
    • Its applications expanded after the advent of lasers in the 1960s, aiding chemical analysis by identifying substances without breaking them.  
    • It also helps forensic science detect drugs in sealed evidence bags and enables safe nuclear waste analysis using fiber-optic probes. 

 

India's Advancements in Science and Technology in 2024 

• Innovation and IP: India ranked 39th in the Global Innovation Index 2024 and 6th in global Intellectual Property (IP) filings (World Intellectual Property Organisation 2024 Report).  
  • The Network Readiness Index 2024 saw India rise to 49th from 79th (2019), highlighting progress in ICT and digital transformation. 
• Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF): Launched under the ANRF Act 2023, boosts India's R&D ecosystem with key programs like promoting electric vehicles (EVs) in India. 
• National Quantum Mission (NQM): Aims to position India as a leader in quantum computing, communication, sensing, and materials. 
• National Supercomputing Mission (NSM): A total of 33 supercomputers with a combined computing capacity of 32 petaflops have been deployed in the country under NSM.  
  • Future plans aim to increase capacity to 77 PetaFlops using indigenous technology. 
• Artificial Intelligence: The BharatGen initiative is developing India's first multimodal, multilingual Large Language Model (LLM) for Generative AI (GenAI). 
• Geospatial Science: Geospatial technology adoption has increased through Spatial Thinking Programs in Schools, covering 116 schools across seven states. 
• Climate Research: India has strengthened climate resilience by launching four Centres of Excellence for flood and drought risk mapping, enhancing disaster preparedness and adaptation strategies.