NCSM Celebrates 50 Years of Mobile Science Exhibition Programme at Science City, Kolkata
National Council of Science Museums (NCSM) under the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, celebrated Golden Jubilee of Mobile Science Exhibition (MSE) Program at Science City, Kolkata from 17th 19th November 2015. This flagship program started as Mobile Science Museum (MSM) in 1965 with a motto: If the people do not visit the museum, let the museum visit the people at their doorstep. First MSE (then MSM), on the theme Our Familiar Electricity was inaugurated by the then Chief Minister of West Bengal Shri Praffula Chandra Sen at Ram Krishna Mission School, Narendrapur on 17th November 1965. However, the first MSE Bus was flagged off in 1966 from Birla Industrial and Technological Museum, Kolkata. Since, then the MSE buses have travelled a distance of 14,88,297 km and have been visited by more than 6,45,19,367 people so far. This has made MSE the largest and longest running non-formal science education programme in the country.
A panel exhibition on the Journey of 50 Years of MSE program is on display at the Science City ground along with 20 MSE buses based on different themes and coming from different corners of India. For the first time, all these MSE buses are on display at a place and this is a unique opportunity for the people of Kolkata to visit all these exhibition at a place. Sixty students and Teachers selected from all over India, who were part of the MSE program shared their experiences and the impact of MSE programs on their life.
On 20th November 2015, all the MSE buses shall travel to Ram Krishan Mission School, Narendrapur where the first MSE program was launched in 1965. The exhibition buses will be on display there till 2.30 PM.
MSE program is an attempt of NCSM to communicate Science and Technology in the Rural India. At Present, 23 MSE buses attached with different Science centres of NCSM spread across India, travel to unreached rural part of India and help develop scientific temper in the society. Besides exhibits, there are programmes like Taramandal Show, Science Show, Open House Quizzes, Sky Observation programmes, Film Shows and Science Demonstrations to enrich the minds of students and the general public.
