History of National Council of Science Museums The origin of the National Council of Science Museums (NCSM) can be traced back to the establishment of the first science museum, the Birla Industrial and Technological Museum (BITM), Kolkata, which was inaugurated on 2nd May 1959 under the aegis of CSIR. Following this milestone, the second science museum, the Visvesvaraya Industrial & Technological Museum (VITM), was inaugurated in Bangalore in July 1965. Subsequently, the groundwork for the third center in Mumbai commenced in 1974. As the significance of popularizing science and technology through these museums gained momentum, the Union Planning Commission formed a task force in the early 1970s to evaluate their activities. This task force advocated for the establishment of science museums at various levels, such as national, state, and district level, across the country. It also proposed the formation of a central coordinating agency to oversee these endeavors. Consequently, in 1978, the Government of India made the decision to detach the existing science museums in Kolkata and Bangalore, as well as the one under development in Mumbai, from CSIR. These institutions were then placed under the jurisdiction of a newly formed society, officially registered on 4th April 1978, named the National Council of Science Museums (NCSM). Network of National Council of Science Museums The National Council of Science Museums (NCSM) has established an extensive nationwide network comprising 26 Science Museums/ Centers. These centers are strategically distributed across the country, categorized into North, South, East, North East, and West Zones. Among these, six centers hold national significance, namely Science City in Kolkata, Birla Industrial and Technological Museum (BITM) in Kolkata, Nehru Science Centre (NSC) in Mumbai, Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum (VITM) in Bengaluru, National Science Centre (NSC) in Delhi, and Central Research & Training Laboratory in Kolkata. The Central Research & Training Laboratory (CRTL), situated in Kolkata, serves as the focal point for the Council's professional training, research, and development activities. With the exception of Science City in Kolkata, each of the other national-level centers oversees a network of regional and sub-regional/district-level units, referred to as Satellite Units (SUs). This hierarchical structure enables effective coordination and dissemination of scientific knowledge and resources across various regions of the country. List of National Council of Science Museums Units The National Council of Science Museums (NCSM) organizes its units into six distinct zones encompassing the geographical breadth of the nation: north, south, east, west, central, and north-eastern. These zones serve as administrative divisions facilitating the efficient management and coordination of NCSM's operations across the country. In addition to its national-level centers, NCSM has established satellite units strategically positioned throughout various regions. These satellite units function as informal science education destinations, catering to diverse segments of the population. By extending its reach through these units, NCSM aims to foster scientific curiosity and awareness among people from all walks of life, thereby contributing to the promotion of science and technology on a broader scale. Here is a zone-wise list of NCSM units. East Zone National Level Centers: • Science City, Kolkata • Birla Industrial & Technological Museum, Kolkata. East Zone Satellite Centers: • Bardhaman Science Centre, Bardhaman • District Science Centre, Purulia • Digha Science Centre, Digha • ShriKrishna Science Centre, Patna • North Bengal Science Centre, Siliguri West Zone National Level Centers: • Nehru Science Centre, Mumbai • Raman Science Centre & Planetarium, Nagpur • Regional Science Centre, Bhopal West Zone Satellite Centers: • Goa Science Centre, Panjim • District Science Centre, Dharampur Central Zone National Level Centers: • Central Research and Training Laboratory, Kolkata Central Zone Satellite Centers: • Regional Science Centre, Bhubaneswar • Dhenkanal Science Centre, Dhenkanal • Kapilas Science Park, Dhenkanal North Zone National Level Centers: • National Science Centre, Delhi North Zone Satellite Centers: • Regional Science City, Lucknow • Kurukshetra Panorama and Science center, Kurukshetra • Palampur Science Centre, Palampur South Zone National Level Centers: • Visvesvaraya Industrial & Technological Museum, Bangalore • Regional Science Centre & Planetarium, Calicut South Zone Satellite Centers: • Regional Science Centre, Tirupati • District Science Centre, Gulbarga • District Science Centre, Tirunelveli North East Zone Satellite Centers: • Regional Science Centre, Guwahati NCSM Centers for States Apart from its own established centers, the National Council of Science Museums (NCSM) has played a pivotal role in the development of Science Centers and Museums tailored for various states and union territories across India. Moreover, NCSM has extended its expertise to collaborate with several governmental organizations, including but not limited to ONGC, BEL, and ICAR, in the establishment of specialized centers and galleries. Internationally, NCSM has engaged in collaborative efforts for the development of museums and science centers, exemplified by projects such as the Rajiv Gandhi Science Centre in Mauritius and the 'India gallery on Buddhism' at the International Buddhist Museum in Sri Lanka. Here is a list of NCSM Centers under State Government: • Science Centre, Port Blair, A & N Island • Mizoram Science Centre, Aizwal, Mizoram • Nagaland Science Centre, Dimapur, Nagaland • Manipur Science Centre, Manipur • Arunachal Pradesh Science Centre, Arunachal Pradesh • Shillong Science Centre, Meghalaya • Sikkim Science Centre, Sikkim • Sub-Regional Science Centres, West Bengal • Sub-Regional Science Centre, Maharashtra • Regional Science Centre, Jharkhand • Dharwad Regional Science Centre, Karnataka • Chhattisgarh Science Centre, Chhattisgarh • Regional Science Centre, Rajasthan • Pimpri Chinchwad Science Centre, Maharashtra • Jorhat Science Centre & Planetarium, Assam • Regional Science Centre, Tamilnadu • Sub Regional Science Centre, Rajasthan • Regional Science Centre, Karnataka • Sub Regional Science Centre, Puducherry • Regional Science Centre, Uttarakhand • Bargarh Science Centre, Odisha • Udaipur Science Centre, Tripura • Bodhgaya Science Centre, Bihar • Manaskhand Science Centre, Uttarakhand • National Agricultural Science Museum, Delhi • Maharaja Ranjit Singh Panorama, Punjab • ONGC Golden Jubilee Museum, Uttarakhand • Kalpana Chawla Memorial Planetarium, Haryana • National Museum on Indian Cinema, Maharashtra |