National Science Centre, Delhi: An Institutional Memory

 National Science Centre, Delhi: An Institutional Memory from Conception to Consolidation.

As the National Science Centre, Delhi (NSCD) commemorates another anniversary today – 9 January, having been associated with this institution for 16 plus years and served this centre in two spells, the second as its third Director – March 2007 to December 2010, I am honoured to chronicle the Centre’s own institutional history—not merely through dates and milestones, but through memory, context, and experience.

Since I was one among the early people who were associated with NSCD from its formative years - I joined NSCD in 1988, on transfer from National Council of Science Museums (NCSM) Calcutta (now Kolkata) -  and served this centre in multiple professional capacities between 1988 and 2001, and later had the honour of leading it as Director from March 2007 to December 2010, I feel honoured to write this piece. I also had the honour to be present when the Centre was dedicated to the nation on this day, 9 January 1992, by then Prime Minister Shri PV Narasimha Rao and even before that, when the building itself was taking shape—physically and conceptually, under the guidance of the founder Director General of NCSM, Dr Saroj Ghose and the hands on man at the heart of the NSCD, Mr PK Bhaumik, under whom I served for 13 years.

The Genesis: Vision Before Infrastructure

The origins of NSCD are inseparable from the perseverance and conviction of its Founder Director, Shri P. K. Bhaumik, who was transferred from BITM, Kolkata to serve as the Project officer of National Science Centre, Delhi, a project which was to be developed on the recommendations of the Planning Commission report. Mr Bhaumik started his assignment on 1^st January 1980, with the mandate to establish a national level science centre in Delhi. At that stage, there was no land, no building, and no institutional infrastructure—only a vision, and a mandate for NCSM, which had been formed as a separate autonomous body detached from CSIR, under which two museums, BITM, Calcutta and VITM Bangalore, were established and the third museum, the Nehru Science Centre, Mumbai was planned.

Mr Bhaumiks early working conditions are rarely recorded in the history of NSCD. Those were the days of trials and tribulations for not just Mr Bhaumik but also for NCSM, which was passing through periods of unrest, strikes by staff who were opposed to a separate NCSM that was carved out from CSIR. Both NCSM and Mr Bhaumik and others passed through period of trials and tribulations and this was more a challenging one for Mr Bhaumik who had been transferred to Delhi under these trying circumstances.

Mr Bhaumik, within a month of his arriving in Delhi as Project officer, managed to scout a office space - one rupee-a-month – that was available on rent from the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) in Chanakyapuri at the Swimming Pool building on the Nehru Park. He also managed to obtain five small residential units from NDMC at 1 Rs per month as rent to accommodate early staff members and also to provide a dormitory space for touring officials from NCSM. In his interview with Dr Sthanapati, former DDG of NCSM, Mr Bhaumik has spoken about his early challenges and has also mentioned that the residential quarters he took from NDMC were originally meant for washermen, who had declined to accept these tiny shelters. It was from these humble hutments like residential shelters that Mr Bhaumik and his colleagues began the work for the NSCD, in those early days.    

It was from the make shift office in from a municipal swimming pool complex, and residential accommodation in dhobi quarters, that the foundation for the NSCD were laid by Mr Bhaumik. Mr Bhaumik has recalled in his interview to Dr Sthanapati that for four years 1980-84 he and his small team scouted for many places but it was only in 1984 that they made a break through.

By then Mr Bhaumik had many stalwarts - associated with NCSM - who were helping and advising him for identifying a proper site for NSCD. Although he had identified some places but then those places were not approved by Dr Saroj Ghose, who was the Director Museums of NCSM. A breakthrough came when, with support from Prof HY Mohan Ram the founder Chairman of the Executive Committee of NSCD, Mr Bhaumik was able to establish contact with the Prime Ministers office. Prof Mohan Ram’s elder brother was Mr. HY Sharada Prasad, who was the Press Secretary to Mrs Indira Gandhi. With their support Mr Bhaumik could impress upon Md. Yunus, Chairman of India's erstwhile Trade Fair Authority (now India Trade Promotion Organization) to spare some land inside the Pragati Maidan complex for the development of NSCD.

Since Mr Bhaumik had come with a backing from PMO, and supported by Mr Yunus, he was offered 2.5 acres of plot of land inside Pragati Maidan, on the Mathura Road, and this offer came in the form of a formal offer letter. However, the joy of this prime piece of land for NSCD was short-lived since the offer was withdrawn and this piece of land was given to Appu Ghar builders.

Finally, a plot of land on Bhairon Marg, where the NSCD is now situated, was allotted by TFAI to NCSM for the development of NSCD. This allotment was a result of many meetings and discussions with higher authorities that were supported by late H.Y. Mohan Ram, his brother, HY Sharada Prasad, Dr S. Varadarajan, the then G.B. Chairman of NCSM and Dr. (Mrs.) Kapila Vatsyayan, the then Additional Secy. Dept. of Culture, and others, who deserve to be credited and for the allotment of the land.

Incidentally, before the work could begin at Pragati Maidan plot of land for NSCD, there was another plot of land – an abandoned stone quarry - that was allotted at Timarpur, old Delhi area at the North end of the city limits. It was a large plot of land (16 Acres), which had many challenges since the land was undulated with rocky structures, and had many water bodies. Make shift office was therefore shifted from the Swimming Pool area to another makeshift office in a shed that was created at the new site at Timarpur. NCSM decided to convert this large plot of land into a science park. Accordingly, a large Science Park was developed in this plot of land, which served as a precursor to NSCD. The science park and the nature of its interactive and participative type of exhibits appealed to the people and incidentally, this was overwhelmingly supported by politicians like Dr Harsh Vardhan, who served as a Cabinet Minister. However, this land had to be later surrendered for the development of the Delhi Metro.

Architecture and Identity of NSCD: Achyut Kanvinde’s Vision

The architectural identity of NSCD is integral to its institutional character. Designed by Achyut Kanvinde, one of India’s most respected architects with international standing, the building was consciously modelled on the nearby Purana Qila, lending it a castle-like form that symbolically connects India’s past with its scientific future.

I had the privilege of interacting with Kanvinde during the construction phase—an experience that reinforced the idea that architecture itself can be an educational medium. NSCD’s building is not merely a container for exhibits; it is part of the narrative.

Dedication to the Nation and Early Milestones

When NSCD was dedicated to the nation on 9 January 1992, with three main galleries – Our Heritage, Fun Science and Information Revolution - it represented a new paradigm in science communication—interactive, experiential, and inclusive. From its earliest galleries to iconic installations such as the Energy Ball at the entrance escalator, the Centre sought to make scientific concepts accessible and engaging to diverse audiences.

NSCD also emerged as a technological pioneer. It became the first science centre to host NICNET connectivity in 1992, with a satellite antenna installed atop the building. In July 1996, less than a year after the Internet arrived in India, NSCD launched Intel Cyberskool, inaugurated by Dr Craig Barrett, then Chairman of Intel. This initiative provided email and internet access to the general public at a time when such access was rare. I was directly involved in conceptualising and implementing this programme.

Global Recognition and Institutional Growth

One of NSCD’s most significant achievements was the Information Revolution Gallery, which earned the prestigious Dibner Award, making NSCD the first and only science centre to receive this honour—placing it among the world’s leading science and technology museums. I was among the team of curators who were involved in curating and developing this gallery.

During my tenure as Director (2007–2010), focused efforts were made to broaden NSCD’s social reach—engaging with a wide audience madrassas, underserved communities, and non-traditional audiences—while also strengthening the connect of the centre with its main target audience, the school and college students. We also established international collaborations including organising an exhibition from the Nobel Museum, Sweeden. These efforts resulted in sustained growth in visitor engagement and institutional relevance. From the highest ever visitor to the NSCD of around 2 Lacs per year, since its inception in 1992 to the year 2007 – except during the year when Dinosaur exhibition was held in NSCD -  the centre managed to more than double its visitors in the financial year 2007-08 and I had the honour to lead this dedicated team, which achieved this success.

Continuity and Change

Today, with new galleries such as the Digital World Gallery, NSCD continues to evolve while remaining anchored in its founding ethos. The Centre stands as a living institution—one that has adapted to changing scientific, technological, and societal contexts without losing sight of its core mission.

Concluding Note

Institutions endure because of people—visionaries, administrators, educators, designers, and countless staff members whose contributions often go unrecorded. As NSCD’s in-house magazine begins the important task of documenting its own history, it is hoped that this account will serve as an initial reference point for a more comprehensive institutional archive.

For readers interested in a more detailed public chronicle of NSCD’s journey, including my reflections with this centre, you may like to read the following two blogposts :

https://khened.blogspot.com/2023/01/national-science-centre-new-delhi-turns.html

https://khened.blogspot.com/2022/01/national-science-centre-new-delhi-turns.html

As we look ahead, it is worth remembering the ideals articulated by Dr Saroj Ghose, under whose mentorship NSCD took shape: that science centres must belong to the people, nurture curiosity, and serve as bridges between knowledge and society. Those ideals remain as relevant today as they were at the Centre’s inception.

Wishing NSCD all the very best on its anniversary.