National Science Day 2025: Date, historical background, importance, and theme of the current year

National Science Day 2025: This day commemorates and acknowledges CV Raman’s contributions to science and technology.

India observes National Science Day on February 28 each year to honor the discovery of the Raman Effect by the famous physicist Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman, widely known as CV Raman.

This day commemorates and acknowledges the contributions of CV Raman to science and technology—a man whose enduring legacy continues to inspire generations across the globe. February 28, 1987, marked the date of the inaugural National Science Day celebration.

In November of 1888, CV Raman was born in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu. He obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Physics from Presidency College in Chennai and a Master’s degree from the University of Calcutta. He conducted his doctoral research at the University of Cambridge.

The discovery of the Raman Effect 

Raman achieved his most important breakthrough – the inelastic scattering of photons by molecules – while working in the laboratory of the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science in Kolkata.

The discovery, which was later named the Raman Effect, won him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930, making him the first Indian to win this prestigious award.

National Science Day 2025: Theme 

The theme for National Science Day 2025 is “Empowering Indian Youth for Global Leadership in Science & Innovation for VIKSIT BHARAT.”

According to the Ministry of Science and Technology, the theme “highlights the importance of youth in advancing India’s scientific and technological development, in line with the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision for a developed and self-sufficient India.”

The ministry stated that the main aim of observing National Science Day is to disseminate the message about the significance of science and its applications to the public.

Every year, it is recognized as one of India’s principal science festivals, with the following aims:

• To disseminate broadly a message regarding the importance of scientific applications in people’s everyday lives.
• To showcase all activities, efforts, and accomplishments in the realm of science aimed at benefiting humanity To deliberate on all challenges and apply new technologies to advance science.
• To motivate the public and promote science and technology.