B M Birla Science Museum
The BM Birla Science Museum was constructed in the second phase of establishing the complex. Inaugurated by Late M. Chenna Reddy, the then Chief Minister of erstwhile Andhra Pradesh now Telangana, on March 15, 1990, it is a unique facility that includes an Interactive Science Centre, Nobel Gallery, Antarctica Diorama, Dwaraka Diorama, Remote Sensing Gallery, Simulated Experiments, Space Museum, Nuclear Power Section, Experience Science gallery and Dinosauriam (palaeontology and fossils section).
The museum elaborately showcases the country’s achievements in the field of Science, Technology and Culture. These were developed in collaboration with the Department of Ocean Development, Indian Space Research Organization, Geological Survey of India, Ministry of Science and Technology, Nuclear Power Corporation of India and many others.
New galleries and activities are being developed in collaboration with several other national and international organisations.
The science museum has exhibits ranging from interactive, participatory, hands on, minds on, palaeontology and oceanic excavations to exhibits, remote sensing and a plethora of other scientific exhibits based on various principles. They are explained in various sections of the museum in an easy to understand way.
The Interactive Science Centre exhibits are designed, developed and fabricated in-house. The B M Birla Science Museum provides support to other institutions desiring to set up Science Centres, Science Parks, thematic science galleries and science clubs by way of providing exhibits and training the staff on operation and maintenance of exhibits and outreach programmes under the ‘Science Project’ programme. They are a must for any community to encourage the development of a competent scientific citizenry so essential for the betterment of the developing world.
Science education and scientific awareness are often lacking in developing countries. Science education has been ineffective as evidenced by the absence of technical innovations and breakthroughs and by dismally low numbers of scientific papers and citations. The general level of scientific awareness is also poor.
The exhibits at the Interactive Science Centre demystify science and create curiosity and enthusiasm in visitors on the wonders and power of science and technology.
The primary goal of interactive exhibits is to give the visitors hands-on experience on science and make them ‘see’ and ‘do’ the science concepts and in turn understand them. Edutainment is the key word in all the exhibits and activities here. The exhibits expose fundamental concepts of science that can be used as building blocks for understanding more complex phenomena
