Every yr on February 28, India pauses to have a good time scientific curiosity, innovation and analysis. The date marks a discovery that remodeled trendy physics and established India’s repute in international science: the Raman Effect, found by C. V. Raman.
In 2026, the event drew greetings from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who underlined the persevering with significance of science in India’s nationwide improvement journey.
National Science Day is noticed yearly on February 28 to commemorate the announcement of the Raman Effect in 1928. Contrary to frequent perception, the date shouldn’t be Raman’s birthday. It marks the precise day he revealed that gentle modifications wavelength when it passes via a clear materials.
The Government of India designated February 28 as National Science Day in 1986 following a suggestion by the National Council for Science and Technology Communication (NCSTC). The first official celebration befell in 1987, with the purpose of selling scientific consciousness and inspiring younger minds to have interaction with analysis.
Today, the day is widely known throughout colleges, schools, and scientific establishments, the place college students current initiatives and analysis organisations showcase their newest improvements.
Marking the event, Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted how scientific inquiry drives India’s progress and international standing.
In a put up on X, he wrote, “Today, on National Science Day, we celebrate the spirit of research, innovation and scientific curiosity that drives our nation forward. This day commemorates the groundbreaking discovery of the Raman Effect by Sir CV Raman. This discovery placed Indian research firmly on the global map. We reaffirm our resolve to empower our youth, strengthen research ecosystems and harness science and technology for national development and global good.”
His message linked the legacy of Raman’s discovery with India’s present-day push towards innovation, self-reliance, and youth-led scientific management.
The Raman Effect explains how gentle scatters after interacting with molecules, inflicting a change in its wavelength. In easy phrases, when gentle passes via a substance, a small portion of it shifts in power and frequency. This change reveals very important details about the fabric’s molecular construction.
The discovery earned C. V. Raman the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930, India’s first Nobel Prize within the sciences and the second Nobel Prize for the nation total.
The precept kinds the premise of Raman spectroscopy, now broadly utilized in drugs, forensic science, chemistry, supplies analysis, and environmental research. One acquainted instance linked to gentle scattering phenomena is the blue look of the sky.
What makes Raman’s achievement particularly inspiring is that he performed his experiments with comparatively modest laboratory gear, relying largely on statement, persistence, and mental curiosity.