Established on 12th of January 1995, Regional Science Centre is located in Bhopal, capital of Madhya Pradesh. More specifically, it is located on Banganga Road on Shyamla Hills, Bhopal. This centre was opened by the then president of India, late Shankar Dayal Sharma. It is one of the 25 constituent units of National Council of Science Museums (NCSM), which is an autonomous scientific organization under the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. This centre is divided into 3 galleries and a science park.
Objective of Regional Science Centre
Regional Science Centre aims at arranging different types of activities and programmes to interact with students in particular and the masses in general, thereby increasing awareness regarding science and technology.
Galleries in the Regional Science Centre
The 3 galleries in the Regional Science Centre, namely, the Fun Science Gallery, the Energy Gallery and the Atmosphere Gallery have various exhibits to demonstrate various scientific concepts to the visitors.
The Fun Science Gallery
Fun Science Gallery of the Science Centre is based on the premise- learning through fun. This gallery makes science and fun inseparable. Its objective is to make people understand that scientific concepts can be grasped with fun and enjoyment. In fact, all the science centres under National Council of Science Museums hail the slogan-`Science is Fun`. This gallery contains noisy pendulums, gravity defying rings, coloured liquids making spectacular mixtures, carrom boards in the shape of an ellipse, magnets with invisible lines of forces and a number of contraptions. These objects are to be experimented and played with, by the visitors, to explore the scientific principles on which they are based.
The Energy Gallery
The Energy Gallery has a series of exhibits and working models, educating visitors about different forms of energy, their production, practical applications and environmental issues associated with them. Quizzes and multimedia presentations are also undertaken to create awareness about energy conservation. Through these presentations people are being intimated with the importance of renewable sources of energy, like, fuel cells, OTEC, bio fuels, coal bed methane, gas hydrates and fusion energy. Solar car, fusion energy, hydro electric power, nuclear fission, power scenario, tidal energy and power from sea are some of the exhibits in the energy gallery.
The Atmosphere Gallery
The Atmosphere gallery aims at creating awareness about the importance of atmosphere, to sustain life on earth. People are educated about various concepts of atmosphere, namely, the structure of the atmosphere, layers of the atmosphere, atmospheric pressure, gas laws and composition of air, to name a few. This gallery is also called The Umbrella as the earth"s atmosphere is responsible for protecting it from the harmful rays of the sun and other activities in the space. Some of the exhibits in this gallery are model of the earth with atmosphere, coriolis force and tools to demonstrate the principles of air brakes.
Science Park in the Regional Science Centre
The science park inside the Regional Science Centre, occupies a land of 3 acres. It is beautified by lush green grasses and trees. Various tools and instruments are at display in this park, so that the visitors can understand their scientific nature and learn various scientific principles. Some of the exhibits in this park are roller coaster, echo tube, gear train, centrifugal force, wave motion, ellipse tracing, hydraulic jack and wind mill.
Shows in the Regional Science Centre
Two kinds of shows are held in the Science Centre. One is called the sky observation, while the other is held in the planetarium.
The Sky Observation Show
Usually in the evening, on some selected days, the centre arranges for sky observation shows. It involves showing the space to the visitors through sophisticated telescopes. Special programmes are also held for showing the astronomical events which occur from time to time.
Shows in the Planetarium
The dome shaped planetarium in the science centre is small and can accommodate only about 20 visitors at a time. The show inside the planetarium is based on stars, constellations and zodiacs.
Activities in the Regional Science Centre
The activities in the Regional Science Centre are classified as indoors and outdoors.
Indoor Activities at Regional Science Centre
These activities are performed inside the Science Centre. The various indoor activities are- Science Demonstration Lectures, Computer Awareness Programme, Creative Ability Centre, Popular Science Lectures, Science Drama, Teacher"s Training Programmes and Vacation Creative Ability Centre.
Science Demonstration Lectures
To educate students on various science topics like phosphorescence, fluorescence and incandescence and conduct experiments with van-de-graff generator and induction cook-top, this centre organizes Science Demonstration Lectures (SDL) in its premises for students from different schools. Theoretical concepts are enriched by practical demonstrations. Student"s participation is encouraged so that the students remain active during the lectures.
Computer Awareness Programme
The computer awareness programme is aimed at teaching basic computer skills like e-mail, internet, preparing word document, spread sheet and power point presentation. This programme is targeted at all age groups.
Creative Ability Centre
In the creative ability centre various activities are carried out, namely, art or clay modeling, scientific experiments, development of models and kits.
Popular Science Lectures
Popular science lectures are delivered by eminent personalities in the field of science particularly on current topics of interest. It also gives students and teachers a chance to update their knowledge. They are also welcomed to interact with the guests to clear their doubts.
Science Drama
National Science Drama Festival (NSDF) is organized by National Council of Science Museums (NCSM), an institution involved in popularizing science. This festival is held at district level, then at the state level by State Institute of Science Education, Jabalpur. The state level competition is organized in collaboration with Regional Science Centre Bhopal and the first two winner teams are sent to participate in the zonal level at Mumbai. First two winners of the zonal level drama festival are invited to present their drama in NSDF, which is held every year at one of the NCSM centres.
Teacher"s Training Programmes
As a helping hand to teachers, this centre arranges for teachers training programmes. They are taught how to use different hand tools, fabricating simple teaching aids from low cost materials for classroom teaching, etc.
Vacation Creative Ability Centre
The creative science workshops are aimed at enhancing the technical skills of the students to make science projects in the fields of Physics, Electronics, Life Science and Computer. These workshops are generally organized during summer vacations.
Outdoor Activities
These activities are performed outside the Science Centre in schools and buses. They are- Science Demonstration Lectures and Mobile Science Exhibitions
Science Demonstration Lectures
Science Demonstration Lectures are organized by this centre by visiting different schools on request to impart lessons on various science subjects like Physics, Chemistry etc. Some of the topics covered are fun with chemistry, matter at low temperature, physics is fun, science versus miracles.
Mobile Science Exhibitions
The Mobile Science Exhibition (MSE) is carried out in a bus. This bus goes to the remote areas of Madhya Pradesh, with near about 20 exhibits, with the aim to create scientific awareness.
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