National Science Day is celebrated in India on 28 February each year to mark the discovery of the ‘Raman Effect’ by Indian physicist Sir Chandrashekhara Venkata Raman on February 28, 1930. For his discovery, Raman was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930.
National Science Day is celebrated as one of the main science festivals in India every year during which students of the schools and colleges demonstrate various science projects and national and state science institutions demonstrate their latest researches. The celebration also includes public speeches, radio-TV talk shows, science movies, science exhibitions based on themes and concepts, watching the night sky, live projects, research demonstration, debates, quiz competitions, lectures, science model exhibitions and many more activities.
It is celebrated with immense passion by Radio Astronomy Centre (RAC), Ooty and Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) at Khodad, Pune, Maharashtra which are world-famous telescopes that are operated at low radio frequencies by the NCRA (National Centre for Radio Astrophysics) established by the TIFR (Tata Institute of Fundamental Research). A variety of activities is organized by the RAC and GMRT at the ceremony of National Science Day celebration in order to recognize their leading research activities in the field of radio astronomy and astrophysics. Variety of programmes is also held for the public and the student community in order to popularize science and technology in the country. The Minister of Science and Technology gives a message through his speech on this day to students, scientists, researchers and the general public of the nation.
The theme of the year 2017 is “Science and Technology for Specially Abled Persons”. To celebrate the event, Karunya University, is organizing a National Conference on Science and Technology for Persons with Disabilities. The conference aims to build together a group which has prior experience in Assistive Technology (AT) and which comprises of AT professionals, academic scientists, researchers, manufacturers and vendors of AT, so that they can share their experience and research knowledge on all facets of Assistive Technology systems and devices.
It also provides a premier interdisciplinary platform for researchers, practitioners and educators to present and discuss the most recent innovations, trends and concerns as well as practical challenges encountered and the solutions adopted in the fields of Assistive Technology Systems.