This year, 2009, is significant as far as Science is concerned, because during this year coincide the anniversaries of several incidences which helped the onward march of Modern Science.

It is the 200th birth anniversary of the great personality, Charles Darwin, who gave light into the origin of living organisms on the earth; 150th year of publication of his famous book on the theory of evolution, “Origin of Species”; 400th year of the celestial observations using Telescope for the first time by Galileo Galilee, 100th birth anniversary of the great Indian Scientist, Homi J. Bhabha, who initiated the Atomic Energy Programme as well as the Space Research Programme in India.

The people’s science movement working in Kerala (Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad) is celebrating 2009 as the ‘Year of Science’, conducting thousands of Science Classes.

UNESCO and the International Astronomical Union (IAU) launched 2009 as the International Year of Astronomy under the theme "The Universe, Yours to Discover"