Birla Industrial & Technological Museum
Birla Industrial & Technological Museum (BITM), a unit under National Council of Science Museums (NCSM), Ministry of Culture, Government of India, is at Gurusaday Road, Kolkata.
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| Formation | 2 May 1959 |
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| Type | Science Museum |
| Legal status | Government |
| Purpose | Educational |
| Headquarters | Kolkata |
| Location | |
Region served | West Bengal, Bihar & Odisha |
Membership | Schools and l public |
Official language | English, Hindi & Bengali |
Director | V. S. Ramachandran |
Main organ | Galleries on scientific topics |
Parent organisation | National Council of Science Museums |
| Affiliations | Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India |
Budget | Rs.2229.71 lakhs [1] |
Staff | 103 [As on 31 March 2015][2] |
Volunteers | 6 trainees |
| Website | |
| Remarks | Visitors 2,21,950 [As on 31 March 2015][3] |
History
The first science museum in India was set up by the industrialist Ghanshyam Das Birla at BITS, in Pilani in a hall (185 sq.mt area) of the Tower Building. The museum depicted mainly the industries and business enterprises of the Birlas. The museum was opened to the public in 1954. Ten years later the museum was shifted to the present building.
The second science museum was mooted by KS Krishnan, physicist and the then Director of National Physical Laboratory (NPL), he was inspired and encouraged by the then prime minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru. R Subramanian was appointed to develop science museum and planetarium project by NPL in 1956. The science museum of 555 sq.mr floor space in Delhi was opened for public in 1956, but it was close down by the authority after few years, although it was appreciated by general visitors.
Bidhan Chandra Roy, the former Chief Minister of West Bengal and physician was impressed to see Deutsches Museum of Munich. He thought to set up a science museum and a planetarium in Calcutta. Roy requested to GD Birla for a help. Birla donated his residential house to the former prime minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru. The three storied Victorian style architectural building along with five bighas land of ‘Birla Park’, where they had lived for thirty five years.[4]
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Existing galleries
- Biotechnology
- Children's Gallery. Inaugurated on 14 November 2012
- Electricity
- Fascinating Physics
- Life Science
- Mathematics
- Metals
- Mock-up Coal Mine
- Motive Power
- Popular Science
- Television
- Transport
Regular activities
- 3D film show, 'Lost World'
- Coal mine show
- Science shows on Magic & Miracle, Surprising Chemical Reactions, Super Cool Bodies, Fun Science and Fire-y-tale
- Sky observation
- Taramandal (Portable inflatable planetarium)
Satellite units
- Bardhaman Science Centre, Babur Bagh. Inaugurated on 9 January 1994. Covered floor area 952.7 Sq. metres.
- Digha Science Centre & National Science Camp, New Digha. Inaugurated on 31 August 1997. Covered floor area 2589 Sq. metres.
- Dhenkanal Science Centre, Odisha. Inaugurated on 5 June 1995. Covered floor area 1147 Sq. metres.
- District Science Centre, Purulia. Inaugurated on 15 December 1982. Covered floor area 1637.40 Sq. metres.
- Kapilas Science Park, Dhenkanal. Inaugurated on 5 June 1995. Area 4.8 Acres
- North Bengal Science Centre, Matigara. Inaugurated on 17 August 1997. Covered floor area 1875 Sq. metres.
- Regional Science Centre, Bhubaneswar. Inaugurated on 18 September 1989. Covered floor area 3819 Sq. metres.
- Srikrishna Science Centre, Patna. Inaugurated on 14 April 1978. Covered floor area 3523 Sq. metres.
References
- Activity report 2014–15. p-55'
- Activity report 2014–15. p-80. National Council of Science Museums publication
- Activity report 2014–15. p-80 National Council of Science Museums publication
- ‘Birla Industrial and Technological Museum 1959–2009’. Book published by National Council of Science Museums – 2009
External links
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