NATIONAL SCIENCE DAY-2020

“Science for the people and the people for science”

Life and works of Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman

Why we celebrate National Science Day? Life of Sir C. V. Raman
On 28th February,1928, Sir CV Raman discovered a Sir Chandrasekhra Venkata Raman was the first ‘non-white’, Asian and Indian to receive the 1930 Nobel prize in Physics for his work on
phenomenon of scattering of photons which was later known “scattering of light and discovery of the Raman effect”.
as ‘Raman Effect’. After two years in 1930, he got the Nobel Birth:
Prize for this remarkable discovery. To mark the discovery He was born to R. Chandrasekaran Iyer (Father) and Parvathi Ammal (Mother) on 7th
of his famous phenomenon National Science Day is Nov. 1888 at Tiruchirapalli in Southern India.
celebrated in India each year on this day. About Parents:
When was the day declared as National Science Day? His father was a lecturer in Mathematics and Physics, who moved with his family to
In 1986, with the proposal of the National Council for Vishakhapatnam when Raman was just four years old. His father was a good athlete.
Science and Technology Communication (NCSTC), Govt. Raman, a voracious reader: Raman’s parents. House in Tiruvanaikkaval in
of India declared 28th February as National Science Day. He used to read the books from his father’s collection which made great impact on his Left: R. C. Iyer (father), Tamil Nadu where Raman
The first National Science Day was celebrated on February mind later. One of these was a volume of Helmholtz (German Scientist). Right: P. Ammal (mother) was born.
28, 1987. Early college:
Raman passed his matriculation examination at the age of 11. He passed his F.A. examination (equivalent to today's Intermediate exam and +2)
The basic objective of observation of National Science Day
with a scholarship from Mrs. Narasimharao College, Vishakhapatnam at the age of 13.
is to spread the message of importance of science and its
Presidency College, Madras
application among the people.
In 1902, Raman joined Presidency college where his father was a lecturer in Mathematics and Physics. In 1904, he passed his B.A. examination,
winning the first place and the gold medal in physics.
Full-time Govt. Administrator, Part-time Scientist The Nobel Moment! Honours and Awards
For 10 years he worked as a civil servant in the Indian Finance
Department in Calcutta. In his free time he carried out research
into the Physics of stringed instruments and drums. He did this
work at the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science In 1924, He was In 1930, he In 1954, he In 1957, he In 1971 and
(IACS). Raman with his wife Raman was knighted won was honored was 2009, postal
Meanwhile on 6th Nov, 1907, Raman got married to a young girl named Lokasundari elected as in 1929 the Nobel with awarded stamps
Fellow of Prize in the Bharat the Lenin featuring
Ammal from Madurai.
Raman at the 1930 Nobel Prize Award the Royal Physics Ratna Peace Prize. Raman
Raman’s part-time research work and his lectures were impressive, establishing his Ceremonywith other winners, from left Venkata Society. were issued.
reputation as a highly talented physicist. In 1917 the University of Calcutta sought Raman (physics), Hans Fischer (chemistry), Karl Demise
him out and offered him the Palit Chair of Physics at a lesser salary. Landsteiner (medicine) and Sinclair Lewis At the end of October 1970, Raman collapsed in his laboratory, as the valves of
What is Palit Professorship? (literature) his heart had given way. He was moved to the hospital and was given four days
The Palit chair of Physics is a physics professorship in the University of Calcutta, India. The to live. He survived and after a few days he refused to stay in the hospital as he
name of the post ‘Palit’ is named after Sir Tarakhnath Palit who donated Rs. 1.5 million to the preferred to die in the gardens of his Institute surrounded by his followers.
university. Authors:
Raman effect: When a beam of light traverses a dust-free,
transparent sample a small fraction of the light emerges in Mr. Subham Preetam is a Project Intern at
Institute of Life Sciences
directions other than that of the incident beam. Most of
this scattered light is of unchanged wavelength. A small Ms. Sasmita Samal is a PhD students at
part, however, has wavelengths different from that of the Institute of Life Sciences
incident light; its presence is a result of Raman effect.