Birla Industrial & Technological Museum

Birla Industrial & Technological Museum
Motto Science popularization
Formation 2 May 1959
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
 Emdadul Islam
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]

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.

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 then 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 then 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]

Former Directors
  • Amalendu Bose, 1959 – 1965 & 1971 – 1974
  • Saroj Ghose, 1965 – 1971 & 1974 – 1979
  • Samar Bagchi, 1979–1991
  • Samaresh Goswamy, 1991–2004
  • Jayanta Sthanapati, 2004–2008

Sk. Emdadul Islam, 2008-continuing till date

Existing galleries

The Children’s Gallery. (April 2013.)
The Mathematics Gallery. (March 2011.)

Regular activities

Satellite units

Coordinates: 22°32′4″N 88°21′49″E / 22.53444°N 88.36361°E / 22.53444; 88.36361

References

  1. ↑ Activity report 2014–15. p-55'
  2. ↑ Activity report 2014–15. p-80. National Council of Science Museums publication
  3. ↑ Activity report 2014–15. p-80 National Council of Science Museums publication
  4. ↑ ‘Birla Industrial and Technological Museum 1959–2009’. Book published by National Council of Science Museums – 2009
  5. ↑ Website

External links

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