ITANAGAR, 19 Jan: The National Council of Science Museums (NCSM) on Friday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Arunachal Pradesh government for setting up a science centre and a digital planetarium in Dirang in West Kameng district.
The centre and the planetarium will be set up by the NCSM at an estimated cost of Rs 26.70 crore and Rs 15.60 crore, respectively, under the Scheme for Promotion of Culture of Science (SPoCS) of the union culture ministry, an official communique said.
The Arunachal Pradesh State Council for Science & Technology (APSCS&T) inked the pact with the NCSM in New Delhi. The science centre and the digital planetarium would be of Category-II.
“This will be the third science centre in Arunachal Pradesh after Itanagar and Namsai.
While the centre in Itanagar is already functional, an MoU was signed for setting up a centre and planetarium in Namsai on 18 December last year. The people of the eastern and western parts of the state will benefit from these centres and planetaria,” Science & Technology Secretary R Ronya said after the pact.
NCSM Deputy Director General Samarendra Kumar said that it has so far developed 23 science centres and handed them over to different state and UT governments.
“With development of the northeastern part of the country, a priority of the government, the NCSM will be glad to set up science centres and planetaria in this part of the country. The centres not only act as tourist destinations, but also help develop scientific temperament in society,” NCSM Director General AD Choudhury said. (PTI)
