Chandigarh: An interesting presentation on the above topic was made by Dr. Rajinder from the Institute of Physics, University of Oldenburg, Germany. He is a well-known historian of Science and a prolific author who has made extensive studies on Raman’s contributions as well as early 20th-century Indian scientists many of whom were responsible for the rise of current day scientific enterprise in India.
The Society for Promotion of Science & Technology in India (SPSTI), Chandigarh Chapter of National Academy of Sciences India (NASI), IISER, Mohali with support from the Haryana Council for Science, Innovation & Technology celebrated the legacy of Raman to commemorate the National Science Day on Saturday, February 27, 2021, at 3.00 PM. The lecture was attended by students, teachers, and members of the general public. The lecture was live from the Zoom platform with more than 45 attendees and many viewed on the Facebook page of SPSTI from various places all over the country. The proceedings started with opening remarks by Prof. Keya Dharmvir, General Secretary, SPSTI, and Prof. Arun K. Grover, Former Vice-Chancellor of Panjab University and Vice President of SPSTI, steered it.
The webinar had two speakers. The second session was by Dr. Fourn Singh, Incharge, Structural & Spectroscopy Lab, Inter-University Accelerator Centre, New Delhi. He demonstrated the Raman Spectrometer currently in use in his lab after introducing the basics of Raman scattering. He also discussed the multifarious ways in which Raman spectra are used to investigate properties of matter at the nano and molecular levels.
Dr. Rajinder Singh began his talk with the introduction of Indian National Science Day. In 1986, the National Council for Science and Technology Communication asked the Government of India to designate February 28 as National Science Day, and the first National Science Day was celebrated on 28 February 1987. In 1930, C.V. Raman was the first non-white and the first Asian, and the first Indian to win the Physics Nobel Prize. To date, he remains India’s only Nobel Laureate in the field of Science (Chemistry, Physics, Medicine/Physiology). C. V. Raman was born in Tiruchirapalli, Madras, and was the second of eight siblings. He studied at the Presidency College, completed his bachelor’s in 1902, and master’s degree in 1907 with the highest distinction. He worked as a Bank officer in Calcutta and Hobby Scientist at the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Sciences from 1907-1916. He established the Indian Journal of Physics, the Indian Academy of Sciences in 1933, and established the Raman Research Institute in 1948. He joined the Indian Institute of Science in 1933 and was the first Indian Director. His research work included acoustics and light scattering. Though Raman did not have any doctorate degree, the University of Calcutta started assigning research scholars under Raman at the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Sciences. Raman was a great teacher and produced about 100 scientists who influenced the development of science in India. Raman’s wife Lokasundari supported him throughout; after the Nobel announcement, journalists found to their amazement that she spoke fluent Bangla whereas Raman, not a word.
The sessions were followed with questions by students and science lovers. The session was much appreciated by attendees. Shri Dharam Vir, IAS (Retd.) & President SPSTI, presented concluding remarks and a vote of thanks to the speakers, audience, organizers, and to the Haryana Council for Science, Innovation & Technology for their support.