Guwahati (Assam) [India], March 11 (ANI): Marching forward towards the promotion of science education in the state, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma formally inaugurated the Guwahati Science City constructed at Tepesia in Sonapur in Kamrup (Metro) district on Tuesday.

The Science City has been developed through a joint initiative of the Government of Assam and the National Council of Science Museums (NCSM), Government of India.

On the occasion, the Chief Minister also virtually inaugurated five District Science Centres constructed at Amingaon Kamrup, Majuli, Silchar, Kaliabor and Bongaigaon.

It may be noted that an amount of Rs 288.13 crore has been spent on the construction of the state-of-the-art science city. At present, two major galleries titled 'Eureka' and 'Space Odyssey' have been completed, while two additional sections named 'Science Discovery' and 'Science Park' will be added soon.

The five District Science Centres inaugurated on Tuesday have been constructed at a cost of approximately Rs. 178.13 crore. Each centre is equipped with facilities such as a science gallery, a 64-seat digital planetarium and an auditorium.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Sarma said that with the opening of these science centres, Assam has taken a strong step forward in the fields of science and technology.

Recalling his childhood visit to the Science Museum in Kolkata, he stated that the experience had inspired him to dream of establishing a world-class science city in Guwahati, along with other places across Assam.

He said that the Guwahati Science City, built on 250 bighas of land, is significantly larger in area than the Science City in Kolkata.

The Chief Minister stated that among the projects undertaken by the State government for the younger generation, this project is one of the most significant and attractive.

He said that the Space Odyssey, Eureka Pavilion and the Digital Planetarium will enable students to experience realistic simulations ranging from space travel to moon missions and the Mars mission.

He further added that with the help of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) technologies, visitors will be able to closely observe the biodiversity of sanctuaries like Kaziranga in great detail, an experience that may not always be possible even during a physical visit to the sanctuary.

CM Sarma, moreover, said that a strong nation cannot be built merely on emotions; it is through the pursuit of knowledge and wisdom that society and the nation can truly progress.

Speaking on the importance of science education, he urged the students to opt for the science stream and explore the vast opportunities that science presents to them.

He said that Assam needs its own scientists to address local challenges, pointing out that issues related to the tea industry or research on the one-horned rhinoceros cannot be solved by scientists coming from outside.

He urged the younger generation to focus more on core science subjects, which would enable Assam to contribute significantly to national research institutions such as ISRO and DRDO, etc.

CM Sarma also announced that in order to popularise science, the State government will arrange visits to the Science City for students of every high school in Assam under government initiatives.

He appealed to parents to consider celebrating their children's birthdays at the Science City, describing it as one of the best educational gifts they could offer.

He further said that the present era is driven by information technology and encouraged the youth to promote various aspects of the Science City on social media to enhance its popularity globally.

He also observed that the proposed establishment of an ISRO centre at Chandrapur will further strengthen space science research and activities in Assam.

Science and Technology Minister Keshab Mahanta, Special Commissioner and Secretary of the Public Works Department Raj Chakravarty, Secretary of the Science and Technology Department Pallav Gopal Jha, Director General of the National Council of Science Museums Arijit Dutta Choudhury, Director Assam Science Technology and Environment Council and Chief Executive Officer of Science City Guwahati Jaydeep Baruah, Director National Science Centre Guwahati Sujay Majumdar, along with several distinguished guests and hundreds of students were present on the occasion. (ANI)