Finally, Central team arriving today to inspect sites identified by admn
No burden on J&K, 100% funding by Culture Ministry
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Mar 3: In a positive development albeit after prolonged delay, a Central team is arriving here tomorrow to inspect the sites identified by the administration for the establishment of Sub-Regional Science Centre in Jammu with 100% funding from the Union Culture Ministry.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Culture Nirupama Kotru and Director of National Council of Science Museums (NCSM) S Kumar are arriving here on March 4 for the inspection of proposed sites and holding of deliberations with the officers of the Science and Technology Department and J&K Science, Technology and Innovation Council.
The administration has identified several sites in Miran Sahib and Bari Brahamana areas for the establishment of Sub-Regional Science Centre and the feasible site will be recommended to the Union Culture Ministry for accord of approval.
Disclosing that the Sub-Regional Science Centre will be set-up with 100% funding from the Union Culture Ministry, sources said, “the Government of Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory is required to provide only land and bear the land development expenditure”, adding “the National Council of Science Museums, an autonomous organisation under Ministry of Culture, will work in coordination with J&K Science, Technology and Innovation Council for the establishment of Science Centre”.
Similar Sub-Regional Science Centre for Srinagar has already been sanctioned and it will come up at Lal Mandi where adequate and feasible land was identified long time back. While Detailed Project Report for Sub-Regional Science Centre at Srinagar has already been prepared, the same in respect of Jammu will be prepared after the site selection by the Central team. Each project will come up at a cost of Rs 18 crore.
“The identification of land for Sub-Regional Science Centre at Jammu got delayed due to lack of interest from the previous Government in Jammu and Kashmir but in the recent past directions were issued from the top to the Divisional Commissioner Jammu for identification of land at different places within the shortest possible time”, sources informed.
Had keen interest been shown in identification of land work on both the Sub-Regional Science Centres could have been started by now, they said, adding “it is due to non-serious approach of the previous Government that J&K has been deprived of the funding under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme till date”
“Now, an officer in the J&K Science, Technology and Innovation Council is in constant touch with the Union Culture Ministry so that site selection exercise is completed without any further delay”, they said.
According to the sources, the visiting team is also likely to visit Mubarak Mandi Complex where Dogra Art Museum is situated and hold deliberations with the officers of Archives, Archaeology and Museums Department and Mubarak Mandi Heritage Society.
They informed that Sub-Regional Science Centres will provide an experiment based learning ambience to inculcate a spirit of inquiry, foster creative talent and create scientific temper in the community as a whole. It is characterised by its two-pronged channel of communication – exhibits and activities.
The objectives behind establishment of Science Centres is to portray the growth of science and technology and their application in industry and human welfare, with a view to develop scientific attitude and temper and to create, inculcate and sustain a general awareness amongst the people.
Moreover, such centres will create awareness and enhance public understanding, appreciation & engagement of public in the process of science and technology; to popularise science and technology for the benefit of students and for the common man of the region by organising exhibitions, seminars, popular lectures, science camps and various other programmes.
Supplementing science education given in schools and colleges and to organise various out-of-school educational activities to foster a spirit of scientific inquiry and creativity among the students; to design, develop and fabricate science museum exhibits, demonstration equipment and scientific teaching aids for science education and popularisation of science; to organise training programmes for science teachers / students/young entrepreneurs/ technicians/ physically challenged/ housewives and others on specific subjects of science, technology and industry are the other objectives of establishment of Science Centres.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
