The State government is mulling setting up a Science Centre encompassing a digital planetarium, a science museum, an innovation hub, an outdoor science park and mobile science lab in Nirmal district to foster the spirit of scientific temper and innovation.
The Telangana State Council of Science and Technology (TSCOST) has submitted a proposal for establishment of a state-of-the-art Science Centre at Nirmal with financial support of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India.
The project cost is estimated to be around ₹42.41 crore.
To be christened “Nirmal Centre of Excellence”, the proposed Science Centre will facilitate demonstration of scientific principles through exhibits, galleries, interactive sessions and workshops, sources in the TSCOST said.
The digital planetarium with an astronomy gallery will be the striking feature of the proposed Science Centre.
The Nirmal district administration has allocated five acres of land for the Science Centre.
Sources said that the Science Centre is likely to come up near Chincholi village in Sarangapur mandal in Nirmal district.
In another significant move, the TSCOST has readied an ambitious plan to establish an SC and ST Cell at the Regional Science Centre (RSC) in Warangal.
The TSCOST will implement the project in collaboration with the Centre for Economic and Social Studies (CESS), Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) and the Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture and Fine Arts University.
The project envisages implementation of the relevant science and technology interventions in select clusters for the benefit of SC and ST population.
As part of the project, training and skill development programmes will be implemented for youth to promote employment, self-employment and entrepreneurial activities.
TSCOST has lined up another ambitious plan to set up Patent Information Centres (PICs) in as many as eight universities including the Osmania, Kakatiya and Satavahana universities in the State.
A proposal to this effect has already been sent to the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, with an estimated project cost of Rs 2.88 crore.
The move is aimed at promoting awareness on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) viz. patents, trademarks, copy rights and industrial designs among the researchers, innovators and others.
TSCOST sources said Minister for Forests & Environment and Science & Technology A Indrakaran Reddy and Special Chief Secretary, Environment, Science and Technology Department & Irrigation and CAD, Rajat Kumar, are pursuing the new science and technology initiatives to ensure their expeditious implementation.
