Mangalore, September 13: The Pilikula Regional Science Centre which was awaited from a long time was constructed at a cost of Rs 11.5 crore will be functioning from coming month on-wards. The state minister for planning and statistics, IT, BT, science and technology, S R Patil has revealed that, the Chief minister Siddaramaiah and Shripad Yasso Naik, the union minister for culture and tourism will inaugurate the Regional Science Center”.
On addressing the media at Dr Shivaram Karanth Pilikula Nisargadhama auditorium in Pilikula here on Saturday September 13thhe said, “Pilikula will also get a 3D digital planetarium; this will be the first 3D digital planetarium all over Asia. The work has already started. We plan to complete the work in one year. This will be a unique planetarium and different from Bangalore’s Jahawarlal Nehru planetarium”, he added.
He also said that there is a need to develop a scientific mindset among people, especially among students of the region and also to propagate the concept of science among the students of rural areas by introducing inventions and research to improve their reasoning ability.
“The centre has been built at a cost of Rs 11.5 crore and is now ready for functioning. The government has planned to start another regional science centre in Mysore and sub-regional science centre in ten districts, but the union government has denied financial assistance. But now the state government has planned to set up sub-regional science centres at a cost of Rs 3.6 crore each in all the districts at the rate of two centres per year. One regional science centre is already functioning in Dharwad, built at a cost of Rs 10.50 crore,” he said.
He concluded that, “This will help to abolish all types of superstitions and promote scientific thinking. Students will be encouraged to invent and research”.
Mr J R Lobo said that, activities scheduled will be prepared as per the calendar and workshops, training programmes for children, students and for public will be carried out.
On this occasion, MLA Mohideen Bawa, MLC Ivan D’Souza, A Prabhakar Sharma-executive director of Dr Shivaram Karanth Pilikula Nisargadhama, K V Rao, J P Bhandary from Pilikula Biological Park were present.
