Science Express, a unique exhibition-on-wheels, today welcomed its five millionth visitor, who was felicitated by Science and Technology Minister Prithviraj Chavan here.
Nishta Yadav, a Class X student of Kendriya Vidyalaya was in for a surprise as she walked in to see the exhibition that has made a halt at Delhi Cantonment Railway Station since yesterday and was felicitated by the minister.
The Science Express has displays of India’s achievements in the field of science and technology for the past several centuries dating back to Aryabhatta’s mathematical milestone of working out the value of pi to the Chandrayaan moon mission.
Mr. Chavan said the exhibition was a unique experiment in science and technology communication which is unparalleled in the world.
“The exhibition reiterates the belief that India is not only learning in pure and applied sciences but also in science and technology communication,” he said.
The third phase of the project jointly executed by the Max Planck Institute, Germany and Department of Science and Technology (DST) started on October 2 last year at Gandhinagar and will conclude at the same place on April 27.
Science Express will be open till April nine between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. On Friday, the exhibition-on-wheels leaves for its next destination - Agra.
“New science activities are being added during halts, such as astronomy popularization through mobile planetarium, scientific explanation of so-called miracles, hands-on science experiments and demystification of myths,” said Kamal Kant Dwivedi, Head of DST’s National Council for Science and Technology Communication.
The first phase of the project was flagged off by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in October 2007.
In its earlier two phases, it had travelled to more than 100 cities, covering over 32,000 km across India.
In the current phase, the train will touch 56 cities in 208 days and travel 18,000 kms.
