India aims to raise public awareness of its polar and marine research in future. To this end, the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) in Goa has signed a memorandum of understanding with Creative Media Designers from Kolkata, a subsidiary of the National Council of Science Museums (NCSM). Together, they plan to establish the country’s first specialised polar and ocean museum at the NCPOR site in Goa.
The agreement was signed by NCPOR Director Dr Thamban Meloth and Amitabh, Managing Director of Creative Media Designers. The project will create a modern centre for science communication, designed to vividly showcase India’s research activities in the Arctic, Antarctic, the Himalayas and the deep sea.
The museum will combine interactive exhibitions, multimedia presentations and scientific displays. Planned attractions include a polar research gallery, the ‘Science on a Sphere’ (SoS) Globe Theatre, special exhibitions on the history of Indian polar research, and multi-sensory experience zones. These will be complemented by expedition artefacts, scientific samples and interactive stations that offer visitors an insight into the work of the researchers.
According to the NCPOR, the museum is set to become a national centre for science communication and public engagement. It aims to promote understanding of the importance of the polar regions and the oceans, and to highlight the role they play in the global climate, the environment and the sustainable development of the Earth. At the same time, the project underscores India’s growing importance as a key player in international polar and marine research.
Heiner Kubny, PolarJournal