Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday inaugurated the Guwahati Science City at Tepesia in Sonapur, in what the state government is calling a landmark step for science education in Assam.
Developed jointly by the Government of Assam and the National Council of Science Museums (NCSM), the facility was built at a cost of Rs 288.13 crore and spreads across 250 bighas of land — larger, the Chief Minister noted, than the iconic Science City in Kolkata.
On the same occasion, Sarma also virtually inaugurated five District Science Centres at Amingaon, Majuli, Silchar, Kaliabor, and Bongaigaon, built at a combined cost of Rs 178.13 crore.
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The Science City currently houses two galleries — "Eureka" and "Space Odyssey" — with two additional sections, "Science Discovery" and "Science Park," expected to open soon.
The five district centres each include science galleries, a 64-seat digital planetarium, and an auditorium, bringing science infrastructure to regions outside the state capital for the first time at this scale.
Sarma said the Space Odyssey gallery and digital planetarium will allow students to experience simulations of space travel, lunar missions, and Mars missions. Augmented and virtual reality technologies will also enable visitors to explore biodiversity hotspots such as Kaziranga National Park from within the facility.
Addressing the gathering, Sarma recalled that a visit to Science City Kolkata during his childhood had left a lasting impression on him — and directly inspired his ambition to build a comparable world-class facility in Guwahati.
The Chief Minister also used the occasion to address what he described as a worrying decline in student interest in core science subjects. He urged young people in Assam to take up science and work toward contributing to institutions such as the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
Sarma also announced that the government will organise educational visits to the Science City for high school students from across the state.
Science and Technology Minister Keshab Mahanta and Director General of the National Council of Science Museums Arijit Dutta Choudhury were among the dignitaries present at the event.