Patna: Chief minister Nitish Kumar inspected the under-construction Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Science City in Rajendranagar, Patna, on Saturday. Spread across 21 acres, the project is being built to promote science and encourage young students to take an interest in scientific learning. During his visit, the chief minister asked officials to complete the work quickly and ensure world-class facilities.
Kumar said that once finished, the Science City would be one of the best centres for science in the world. He explained that it will help students understand basic principles of science in an easy and interesting way. The project, he said, has been designed with the advice of experts, and modern technology should be used to make it a model institution.
Officials informed the chief minister that most of the building work has been completed. The Science City will have five main halls with different galleries – including Be a Scientist, Sustainable Planet, Basic Science, Body and Mind, and Astronomy and Space. In the first phase, more than 45 science exhibits are being installed at a cost of Rs 75 crore, managed by the National Council of Science Museums.
The total cost of the project is Rs 889 crore, and it has been monitored closely by the chief minister since the foundation stone was laid in March 2018. The Science City will also have a 500-seat auditorium, a 150-bed dormitory for visiting students, an open-air theatre, cafeteria, parking space and solar panels for clean energy. Nitish Kumar said the centre would be a fitting tribute to former president Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, who had given suggestions for the project before it was named in his honour.
