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 he National Council of Science Museums (NCSM) of the Union Government. has developed a mobile science exhibition unit for the first ever interactive science centre at Mauritius, and is planning to ship it out by the month-end.
The Union Government, as per a MoU signed by the Council in October 1998 with the Government of Mauritius, for the development of the centre at Port Louis, will extend a technical grant of Rs. 5 crores.
Dr I K Mukherjee, Director General of NCSM, told newspersons here that the centre was being constructed at a cost of Rs. 12 crores (being borne by the Mauritius Government itself) in an area spanning some 40,000 sq.feet, and the work is expected to be completed by March 2001.
The centre, according to Mukherjee, will consist of thematic galleries on the land and people of Mauritius, modern aspects of science and popular science. He said conceptual planning of the galleries has been completed and fabrication of exhibits has begun.
Apart from the galleries, the centre would have an auditorium, a temporary exhibition hall, a souvenir shop, library and conference room, exhibits maintenance workshop and a sprawling science park with interactive participatory exhibits and ecology corner.
He said the centre would have five exhibition galleries - origin of Mauritius, land and environment of Mauritius, resources of the country, frontiers of modern technology and fun science. The construction was being carried out on the basis of architectural designs supplied by the council. This would be the first time that NCSM would plan and develop all the galleries and exhibits, science park, infrastructure for activities and train personnel for development of a science centre abroad.
Its earlier overseas assignments had been for specific jobs pertaining to science centres.
Hindu Business, Chennai
January 14, 2000
Bureau:Calcutta January 13, 2000
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