JOIN US‘We need a museum that showcases our national industrial past’
To mark the International Museum Day, Deccan Herald’s Mohammed Safi Shamsi caught up with A D Choudhury, the director general of National Council of Science Museums (NCSM). The two talked extensively about science centres in India and more such projects. Here are the edited excerpts from the exclusive interview:
What are NCSM’s responsibilities? Are there any new projects in the pipeline?
We operate 25 science centres across the country. The running of these centres, developing new exhibitions, upgrading, and modernising (current) activities form part of our work.
We implement projects for the Union Ministry of Culture under the Scheme for Promotion of Culture of Science. We construct new science centres in different parts of the country. State governments send their request to the ministry for a science centre. The proposals are then shared with NCSM for our observations. Once approved (by the ministry), we implement the projects.
For instance, last Saturday, we opened a new science centre in Palampur, Himachal Pradesh. As of now, eleven science centres are under construction in different parts of the country. Some of these will be ready very soon. The centres are coming up in Kokrajhar (Assam), Gaya (Bihar), Kottayam (Kerala), Rajahmundry (Andhra Pradesh), Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh), Udaipur and Bikaner (Rajasthan), and in Kanyakumari (Tamil Nadu). Science cities are also being developed in Guwahati (Assam) and Dehradun (Uttarakhand).
Could you tell us about the science projects in Karnataka?
We have Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum (VITM) in Bangalore. We also have a science centre in Gulbarga. In Pilikula, we developed and handed over one centre. One more centre is being developed, the venue is being finalised.
Today it’s possible to explore and learn using online resources. Are museums still relevant?
What you see online is a digital format. When you visit a science centre, you interact with an exhibit, you feel what you are doing. You have an opportunity to interact with people. I think it's a wonderful way of communicating science and its basic principles.
There is demand for the centres. The state governments feel the centres have an important role, and we are continuing with development of new centres.
During the pandemic, we went online extensively with video conferences and live programs. In the process, we maintained connectivity with audiences beyond geographical boundaries. Children participated in activities from neighbouring countries and from the Middle East. Now, the science centres are open, and visitors are back.
What can you tell us about India’s largest full-dome digital theatre in Science City, Kolkata?
The theatre has a diameter of 23 metres and is tilted at 23 degrees. This is the largest full-dome digital setup in the country. It was upgraded to digital format with a 3D facility in 2019. On the International Museum Day (May 18), we inaugurated a new full-dome film: Life under the Arctic Sky. This is the fourth film to be shown here. A second such theatre is in Kapurthala, Punjab. We also have one such theatre in Pilikula, Karnataka. Unlike normal flat screens, titled full-dome screens, offer an immersive environment and make the audience feel that they are a part of the environment being screened. For aerial shots taken for screening the film, the audience gets a virtual feel of floating in the air.
Do the visitors come with a scientific spirit? Or are museums only a source of entertainment for them?
We have innovation hubs that have members. Students come to do specific projects. This is one group that comes with a preconceived thought about what they want to do. The other group is definitely visitors who come for education, entertainment, and for interaction.
What are the ‘must-visit’ science museums and centres in India?
Every centre has some uniqueness. To name a few, we have VITM in Bangalore, Science City in Kolkata, Birla Industrial and Technological Museum also in Kolkata and Nehru Science Centre in Mumbai are worth a visit. The Kurukshetra Panorama and Science Centre in Haryana depicts the 14-day Mahabharata war. This is something quite different to watch.
Is there one ambitious project that you think needs to be done?
We want to create a museum that talks about our national industrial past. This could be through preserving relics. If we don’t do it now, it may be too late, as we may not be able to collect most of the things. As industrial needs change, old equipment is disposed of. Unless we have a museum, it will be difficult to show the younger generations how technology evolved over time.
We have started working on the plan to have a national museum that reflects science and technological changes in the Indian context. This, however, is still a plan. New Delhi is a suitable venue for such a project.