India celebrates its National Science Day every year on February 28 to mark Dr. C.V. Raman’s discovery of the scattering of light, also known as the “Raman effect”.
Water Colour A glass of water has no colour. But a deep sea with the same water is a brilliant blue. Why is this so?
This was the question that C.V. Raman asked himself in 1921 on seeing the colour of the Mediterranean sea from a ship. He immediately began to conduct experiments on board the ship using some simple instruments he had with him. At that time, scientists believed the sea was blue because it reflected the colour of the sky, but Raman found that it was the water itself that caused blue light to scatter more than other colours in light.
On February 28, 1928, one of the experiments gave a clear result. Light of only one colour was passed through a liquid, but the light that emerged had small traces of another colour. This meant that the molecules in the liquid were changing the colour of some of the light passing through it.
The discovery created a sensation around the world and was named the Raman Effect. In 1930, C.V. Raman became the first person from Asia to be awarded a Nobel prize in any field of science. The date of the discovery, February 28, is now celebrated as National Science Day in India.
Why do flowers have colours? Do varying hues alter their properties?
Such questions prompted Nobel Prize-winning physicist C.V. Raman to focus his efforts on studying floral colours and their roles in attracting pollinators and shielding flowers from predators during his final years.
THE HINDU
Why Science Day?
The Indian Constitution states that:
It shall be the duty of every citizen of India to develop the scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform.
Constitution of India
To encourage young minds and to show the importance of science in everyday life public speeches, science exhibitions and live demonstrations are conducted every year.
This year the theme for the day was “Integrated Approach in Science and Technology for Sustainable Future“
Well, Covid-19 pandemic has taught us the beauty of linkages and bonds between the institutions, departments, ministries and the industries.The integrated approach followed by the Nations during the pandemic was the hallmark for the survival of humanity. In this backdrop, the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India is busting a gut this time by using the lens of integration in Science and Technology for a sustainable future.
It is universally accepted that the nineteenth century was marked by the transportation revolution. This was followed by remarkable changes in space technologies and computer science, which together ushered in communication revolution. In the 20th Century, the world witnessed several desirable developments driven by Science and Technology research.
Science and Technology have become the determinants of economic growth and developments. To achieve a position among the developed countries of the world, Government of India has taken right step to make a quantum increase in the infrastructure. But it is not sufficient as the quality of education is very important factor that should be taken care of on priority. Success in science and scientific work came not through the provision of unlimited or big resources, but in the wise and careful selection of problems and objectives.
A scientific mind is an adventurous mind and is not afraid to speak truth even if it may not be consonant with established thoughts, beliefs and superstitions.
Jawahar Lal Nehru, the first Prime Minster after Independence was of the view that a strong scientific base and a scientific temper are the most powerful catalysts of both economic performance and social progress. If India wants to transform itself into a developed nation, for that it requires a major boost to science and technology, particularly, in frontier areas. This is because of the fact that science and technology profoundly influence human kind and society and also the progress for the future.
About fifty years ago, both houses of parliament passed a far-sighted science resolution underscoring the importance of Science and Technology in the developing countries like ours. The resolution envisages.
“The key to national prosperity, apart from the spirit of the people lies in the effective combination of three factors: technology, raw material and capital investment.”
A lot of things have been achieved since the adoption of this resolution.
Here, it can be safety concluded that science and technology pertains to the creation of knowledge and then translate the created knowledge into application and this is possible through the integrated approach but this approach demands a combo of good strategy and a better execution for a sustainable future.
Let’s work together to Understand better
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