School of Physical and Chemical Sciences
February 27 2025
After the Formal welcome to the members on the dais
Research Metrics of SPCS
h- index of Department of Physics – 52 and h- index of Department of Chemistry – 36
Total publications in Scopus / WOS indexed journals: 840+
Total Citations : 16,000+
Book / Book Chapters: 40+
No. of PhD Degree awarded : 65
Across the Globe, many countries celebrate Science Day or similar science-related observances to honour
scientific achievements and promote scientific awareness.
In United Kingdom, British Science Week is organized every year in March. It is a ten-day event
celebrating science, technology, engineering, and maths. It features entertaining and engaging
events and activities across the UK for people of all ages.
In the United States, National Science Appreciation Day is celebrated on March 26 of each year.
The date has been chosen to commemorate the 1953 announcement by Jonas Salk towards the
first successful clinical trials using the polio vaccine.
In Russia, Russian Science Day is celebrated on February 8th each year, marking the founding date
of the Russian Academy of Sciences by Peter the Great in 1724, which is considered a significant
moment in the development of Russian science.
In Thailand, National Science Day is celebrated on August 18th each year, commemorating King
Mongkut (Rama IV)'s accurate prediction and observation of a total solar eclipse in 1868, which is
why he is often referred to as the "Father of Thai Science".
Each country celebrates science in its own unique way, encouraging curiosity, innovation, and
education!
In India, National Science Day is celebrated on February 28 each year to mark the discovery of
the Raman effect by Indian physicist Sir C. V. Raman on 28 February 1928.
Many people mistakenly believe that National Science Day (February 28) is C.V. Raman’s
birthday, but this is incorrect. National Science Day is celebrated to honour the discovery of the
Raman Effect, not to mark his birth anniversary.
School of Physical and Chemical Sciences
I would like to briefly summarize the discovery of the Raman Effect:
In 1921, C.V. Raman travelled by ship to England to attend the University of Oxford’s Centenary
Conference of the University of London as an invited scientist.
While crossing the Mediterranean Sea, he was struck by the deep blue color of the water.
At that time, Lord Rayleigh’s theory suggested that the blue color of the ocean was due to the
reflection of the sky, but Raman disagreed. He believed the color was caused by the scattering of
sunlight by water molecules
After returning to India, Raman continued his research on light scattering at the Indian
Association for the Cultivation of Science (IACS) in Kolkata.
On this day February 28 more than 96 years ago (1928), C.V. Raman and his assistant K.S.
Krishnan discovered that when light passes through a transparent medium, some of the scattered
light changes in wavelength—a phenomenon later called the Raman Effect.
For his discovery, Sir C.V. Raman was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930.
I also would like to highlight a key point here:
- Rabindranath Tagore was the first Indian to win a Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913.
- And Sir C. V. Raman is the first Indian to win a Nobel in Science (for the Raman Effect).
During such a gracious occasion, I am pleased to welcome you all today as a part of Celebrating
National Science Day (NSD) – 2025 at BSACIST
I extend my warmest greetings to our esteemed speakers:
Dr. John Kennedy L, Professor Vellore Institute of Technology - Chennai, Tamil Nadu, and
Dr. G. Sathyaraj, Senior Scientist CSIR - Central Leather Research Institute, Adyar, Chennai
and enthusiastic participants.
Today's event comprises Eminent Scientific Talks and Intellectual Competitions for the benefit of
postgraduate students and research scholars of the School of Physical and Chemical Sciences of our
Institute.
I wish everyone benefits from todays talks and events.
Finally I would like to conclude by stating a quote by Sir CV Raman
"Ask the right questions, and nature will open the doors to her secrets."
Thank you
