Visionary who took science to people
The passing away of Dr Saroj Ghose, former president of the International Council of Museums (ICOM), in USA on May 17 marks the end of an era in science communication and museology. Known as the ‘Father of Indian Science Museums’, his transformative contributions to the National Council of Science Museums (NCSM) and his unwavering commitment to scientific temper — enshrined in the Constitution under Article 51A(h) — have left an indelible mark. Even in death, Dr Ghose exemplified his lifelong dedication to science, bequeathing his body to a medical hospital for research.
Saroj Ghose was born on September 1, 1935, in Calcutta and his association with museology began in 1958 when he joined the Birla Industrial and Technological Museum (BITM), Kolkata, as an electrical engineer. The genesis of BITM, which opened in 1959, owes itself to a visionary endeavour, courtesy the collaboration of luminaries like Dr BC Roy, then Chief Minister of West Bengal, and Pandit Nehru, who envisioned scientific temper as the bedrock of modern India.
Tasked by Nehru, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) developed BITM, inspired by the Deutsches Museum in Berlin, Germany, with support from Ghanshyam Das Birla, an eminent industrialist and philanthropist who donated the family’s palatial building at Birla Park.
From his modest beginning in BITM, Dr Ghose rose to the pinnacle position of this institution, as the founding Director General of NCSM (1979-1997) by transforming a single museum into a network of more than 60 science centres and museums across India, each a beacon of learning and discovery. Today, NCSM in itself manages 25 science centres and 30-plus other science centres have been developed by NCSM on a turnkey basis for the Ministry of Culture, under the ‘Scheme for Promotion of Culture of Science’.
One of Dr Ghose’s most revolutionary ideas was the Mobile Science Exhibition, which was introduced in 1965 at BITM. Recognising that many students, especially in rural areas, could not visit the science museum, he envisioned taking museums to their doorstep.
Under his leadership, NCSM pioneered interactive, hands-on science centres that demystified complex concepts, making science engaging for children and adults alike. Iconic institutions like the Science City in Kolkata, the Nehru Science Centre in Mumbai, National Science Centre in Delhi and Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum in Bengaluru, testify to his vision. The Nehru Science Centre in Mumbai also holds the unique record of introducing the first-ever open air science park in the world in 1978.
Dr Ghose’s most audacious contribution was the ‘Festival of Science’ exhibition, which showcased the rich history of Indian science and technology in the US from 1985 to 1987. This monumental exhibition challenged stereotypes of India as a “land of beggars and snake charmers”, highlighting its profound scientific and cultural heritage. The exhibition drew luminaries like Nobel laureate S Chandrasekhar, enduringly impacting global perceptions of India.
Inspired by the film ‘Jurassic Park’, an American company, Dynamotion, developed an animated life-like moving dinosaurs exhibition, which was to travel to India in July 1996. Dr Ghose immediately decided that NCSM should develop the ‘Dinosaurs Alive’ exhibition featuring 20 life-size robotic dinosaurs and open it before the American exhibition. This seemingly impossible task was made possible by his team in NCSM. The exhibition was opened at Science City, Kolkata, in June and became a roaring success.
Another visionary project was the Kurukshetra Panorama and Science Centre — the first of its kind in India — that portrays episodes from the epic battle of Mahabharata in the panorama digital prints that are enlarged from painstakingly hand-painted canvases and commissioned in the vast cylindrical building.
Even after his retirement, Dr Ghose created some of the best story-telling museums in the country. These include the Kolkata Panorama for the Kolkata Museum Society, Parliament Museum, Rashtrapati Bhavan Museum, etc. He was also the Museum Adviser to the President of India and played a key role in the development of Gujarat Science City, Ahmedabad.
Dr Ghose was conferred with many national and international awards, including the Indira Gandhi Prize from the Indian National Science Academy, and the Hari Om Trust Award from the University Grants Commission for Popularisation of Science in 1988. In 2001, he was awarded the national award for science popularisation amongst children. He received the Padma Shri in 1989 and Padma Bhushan in 2007.
In 1996, Dr Ghose received the Primo Rovis International Prize from the Trieste International Foundation. ASTC, the internationally acclaimed Association of Science and Technology Centers, USA, conferred on him the prestigious Fellowship in 1997. He is the only Asian to have been elected president of ICOM twice.
His contributions will continue to resonate in every science centre, every mobile exhibition, and every curious mind sparked by his vision. Rest in peace, Dr Ghose.
— The writer is Adviser, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, Mumbai
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