Nehru Science Centre Turns 35 : A Kaleidoscopic Visual Look back in History
The science museum movement in India owes its genesis to Bharat Ratna, Dr. B.C. Roy. Dr Roy, the then Chief Minister of West Bengal, was highly impressed with the Deutsches Museum in Munich, Germany and his visit had such great impact on him that on his return to India Dr Roy envisaged building a similar museum in West Bengal and Calcutta (Kolkatta now) was his obvious choice. Dr. Roy requested Ghanashyamdas Birla (GD Birla) - the benevolent industrialist with nationalistic approach, for donating a suitable building and a plot of land for establishing a Museum on the lines of the famous Deutsches Museum. The Birla’s were known for their philanthropy, particularly in the field of education and therefore G.D. Birla willingly agreed to part with the 19 A Gurusaday Road plot of land and also their existing building in the premises, to Dr. Roy for the establishment of the said museum. Dr. Roy requested Prime Minister, Pundit Nehru, and sought his help to support his initiative for starting a world class technology museum in Calcutta. The Prime Minister of India, who also happens to be the President of the premier scientific research institution – the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) society, assigned the task of developing the best possible ‘Technology Museum’ to the then Director General of CSIR, Prof M. S. Thacker. Dr. Thacker with support from Dr. Amalendu Bose, the first Museum Director, established the Birla Industrial and Technological Museum (BITM), which was formally opened to the public on 2nd May 1959. Taking cue from this museum CSIR established the second museum in Bangalore, which was established as a tribute to Sir M Visvesvaraya in 1965 and was named the Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technology Museum (VITM). The building for the development of this museum was also donated by the Visvesvaraya Trust.
Bombay (Mumbai now), which had begun to become the economic hub of India, was not to be left behind. The Mafatlals, (Arvind Maftlal) in the the later part of 60s took up this initiative to support development of a similar science museum in Bombay for which they expressed their willingness to donate 45 acres of land in Worli and also to fund Rs. 70 Lacs for the Museum which was to be named the Mafatlal Industrial and Technological Museum. Unfortunately, this initiative did not progress much and the Mafatlal's who had paid the money to CSIR, took back the money and their proposal. The progress of this project was very slow and when the project was heading nowhere, in the early 70s, Mr. Rajni Patel took initiative on this project. However, by this time the project was divided into two parts, the first part was the Nehru Science Centre and the other part was the Nehru Centre, which is on Dr. Annie Besant Road. By the time things were formalized by signing the required agreements we were allotted 11.6 acres of land and this land was a dumping ground which was used for disposal of waste material and the land was also not free from encumbrance. It is now learnt that services of the para military was availed to evict the unauthorized squatters from this location.
By the time CSIR got the possession of this land - from BMC on 99 years lease - for the development of the Museum, the project was already delayed. There were questions asked for the delay and the founding members of this project - Nehru Science Centre, worked very hard to convert the dumping waste land into a lush green area. However, pressure was mounting from the top for commencement of the museum for public, since the project was getting delayed. This was the time when the country was also passing through some challenging times and Emergency was imposed in India. By the time The Emergency was revoked and fresh elections were announced, there was not 'enough' progress in the project. In 1977, the Morarji Desai government (Janata Party) came to power defeating the Congress. The new government decided to review the functioning of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), particularly reviewing if the museums should function under CSIR. A committee was therefore constituted to review the functioning of the museums under CSIR
It was during this stressful time that the founders of Nehru Science Centre project decided to start the project in phased manner so that some progress in the project can be show cased to the new government and part of the facility could be opened to the public. Accordingly it was decided that in the first phase a temporary workshop and shed be constructed with site office where an exhibition “Light & Sight” can be developed and thrown open to the public by the end of 1977. This exhibition was opened as scheduled and students came in good numbers to visit this exhibition. We managed to trace out the first ticket purchased by the visitor for visiting this gallery and this ticket is included in the images, which are appended with this post. The exhibition was opened in a temporary shed in October 1977 and the entry to this exhibition costed 50 paisa. It was during this time, when the committee to examine the functioning of Museums was doing its duty, an idea to start an open air science park got impregnated into the mind of Dr. Saroj Ghose, the founder Director General of NCSM. Thus, for the first time, not just in India but globally, the concept of open air Science Park was started and this was inaugurated on 22.12.1979. It was also during this time that several precious artefacts viz. Steam Lorry, Diesel and narrow gauge Steam Locomotive, Tram Car, Horse Drawn tram Car and Marut HF-24, Fighter Aircraft were collected from different sources and displayed in the Science Park. These precious artefacts and the Science Park provided a fresh impetus to detach the museums from CSIR, which had a different mandate and that Museums did not fit into this mandate.
The task force which was constituted to examine the functioning of the museums under CSIR, submitted a report and recommended that Museums should be detached from CSIR and that a separate autonomous institution should be formed to govern all the science museums in India. The report of the task force was accepted by the Government and we were detached from CSIR and started functioning under a newly constituted autonomous scientific body, which was called the National Council of Science Museums. The founders of NCSM also decided to change their approach to making of science museums. By then a visionary in US - Frank Oppenheimer, the brother of Richard Oppenheimer of Manhattan project fame, had started an interesting project which he named the Exploratorium. This was an interesting concept which engaged the visitors hand on and they were able to perform engaging scientific observations in the working models which were displayed in the Exploratorium. This concept appealed to the Indian leadership in science center's namely - Dr Saroj Ghose. Thus it was decided that the Bombay Science Museum will be based on the new model of Exploratorium and will be renamed as Nehru Science Centre instead of Science Museum. Ever since all the subsequent science museums which have been developed by NCSM have been named Science Centers.
The Science Park and so also the vintage locomotive artefacts, which were opened to the public, started attracting people from the neighboring areas. Even when the main building designed by leading architect, Achyut Prakash Kanvinde was getting constructed, visitors continued to visit the science park. The Science centre building was completed in 1984 and the centre had three major attractions viz. Light & Sight gallery, Sound and Hearing gallery and Science for Children gallery. In addition a Vintage Car exhibition was also on put on display. The centre with all these new facilities, named the Nehru Science Centre, was formally opened on 11.11.1985 by the then Prime Minister, Shri Rajiv Gandhi on 11th November 1985 in the august presence of several distinguished guests. Dr. Saroj Ghose, the the DG of NCSM, during one of our interactions recalled that the PMO had informed that the Prime Minister will be there for the inauguration for just about 15 to 20 minutes. However, Shri Rajiv Gandhi was so overwhelmed with what he saw in the centre that he ended up spending 75 minutes and visiting all the exhibitions and so also the Vintage Car exhibition.
Today, when the centre celebrates its 35 anniversary, it gives me immense pleasure and satisfaction to credit and owe our gratitude to all the founding members of this great institution primarily Shri R. M. Chakrabarti, Dr Saroj Ghose, Shri Amalendu Bose, Dr. Madhuriben Shah, Shri Rajni Patel, Dr. Varadrajan, Dr. A. P. Mitra, Dr Sreekanthan, and all the past officers and staff of Nehru Science Centre, who have worked tirelessly during those early years in building this great institution, which I am sure will continue to grow in strength in the years to come. Our thanks are also due to all the Chairpersons and members of the past and present Executive Committee - the Apex body of NCSM. We owe our gratitude to are CSIR, and the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, and so also to all the earlier Directors of our Centre and former and current DG, NCSM. A big thank you to you all and I am sure this Centre will grow from strength to strength and continue to uphold the high standards that the founding members of this Centre have set for us.
It is a matter of great pride for us that the metro station coming up just outside our centre has been befittingly named as "Science Museum", which we are sure will help us in attracting more and more visitors.
3 comments:
Excellent write up for the complete journey of success of this centre. I think every new leader has taken this centre tonewer heits of popularity. All the best wishes for future.
Very nice information. I am proud to mention that I was employee of this prestgious institution from 29.11.1981 to 30.06.2017. When I joined NSCM , construction of new building had just started.
Well. Very nice Sir.
You have very nicely written , how this institution has come up.
I liked it very much.
सर, आप को दीपावली की हार्दिक शुभकामनायें ।
Let this festival of light shower on you infinite creative thoughts all the time.
Very well composed sir. It was really a kaleidoscopic view of journey of NSC. I enjoyed reading it. Thank you for writing this piece and sharing it with historical pictures.
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