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People popularly call it the Calicut Planetarium. If there is any forthcoming celestial phenomenon, the telephone of this institution does not stop ringing. Students, people, local press and media, for all of them this institution is a reliable source of information for any scientific and astronomical event. But, beyond it, they also think that this centre has inculcated an urgency of science studies among the people of the region who was earlier largely interested in trading business and migration to gulf looking for jobs. The people thus reciprocates with a sense of ownership for this centre. With a modest beginning on January 30, 1997, Calicut Regional Science Centre and Planetarium has crossed a long way with a track record of more than five lakh plus footfall presenting 1200 planetarium shows and more than 2000 3D educational video shows annually. And another genuine strength of the centre is its continuous endeavour to conduct about 20 workshops or educational programs every year.

It undertakes Masters’ and Graduate Students’ project guidance in mathematics, computer, physics and astronomy and their number is more than 20 every year. The last year there has been 60 such project registrations. It is no wonder that the centre is a trusted ally of the local educational institutes not only at the school level, but also for the institutes of higher education in science and technology.

But in continually stretching its capabilities such, the institution has far outgrown its holding capacity. It was built with a visitor footfall estimate of 200,000 in mind two decades ago. Currently it serves 500,000 users regularly.  Its decade-old Astronomy gallery and recently developed Ocean gallery are still very popular. But Astronomy over the last decade has undergone sea change. Its exposition demands a recast.

In most of the science centres in India, a large Fun Science Hall demonstrating principles of basic sciences is a major attraction for the people. In this centre it is the smallest gallery with huge scope for induction of new and modern exhibits. International Museum norms demand that the office of a museum must not be positioned on the front of the museum building so that the visitors primarily know it as a public space of education. But, in this centre the entry wing holds the administrative block right in the middle of exhibition space posing a discontinuity to the visitor experience and scarcity of space for more scientific experiences fit for a modern world class Science centre. With narrow building corridors and little holding space for the visitors, this centre badly needs more visitors’ area, yet of course, not compromising its environmental setting and encroaching much of the open area. We need a vertical expansion to create more visitor facilities.

A vertical expansion of one block to a four story building is an absolute necessity. This new block will have a proper Workshop, Two new galleries on cutting-edge modern themes, Store, Office, a new world class Science on Sphere display and a conference room. We need to develop one external temporary exhibition area that may host topical exhibitions regularly. We need to landscape our garden in such a way that every year the monsoon waterlogging does not leave it in a dilapidated condition.

All these developments need fund for the construction and equipping the space so that we may provide our visitors the world class science centre experiences. We are looking for big-time suuport from organisations or the corporate sector towards sponsoring parts of these facilites that may be named after the institution with whose support we may have to build it.

We apprached the government for financial grant. But at the onset of the world-shaking Covid-19 Pandemic, understandably the government grant is a distant possibility. We have our 25th year on the end of 2022. We wish to offer our strong support base at least part of these dreamt of facilities by that time. We need your help.

We request you to approach us with the sponsorship or collaboration proposals.

Please contact the Senior Education Officer, RSCPC.

 

Thanks for considering to support us. We have big dreams. We need your big support to help us turn our dreams to reality so that people and students of the Malabar Region gets the best that the world is experiencing today.

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