Birla Industrial and Technological Museum

Address: 19A, Gurusaday Road, Kolkata - 700019
Hit the Spot: One can avail of state bus services such as 10, S-14. One could also avail of the private buses such as 240, 205A, 42B, 45, 218,39A or use the mini buses such as Jadavpur-Saltlake, Jadavpur-Airport, Jodhpur Park-B.B.D.Bag or the Jagaddal-B.B.D.Bag.
Photography / Video charges: Strictly prohibited.
Nearest Railway Station: Ballygunge Junction / Park Circus
Nearest Metro Station: Rabindra Sadan
Nearest International Airport: Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport.
Entry Fee: For entering the museum: Rs 10. Students in Group Rs. 5.
There are different fees for the different shows.
Group of students from school with a letter of the institutional head can avail a concessional entry fee of Rs 3 per head.
With every 20 students, entry of one teacher is free.
Library Services: The library offers only reading facilities. To be a member, a membership charge of Rs 200 (per year) is to be paid. Pages can be photo copied @ 1.50 per page.
Shows: The following shows are held regularly inside the museum-

• Coal Mine Show
• Unexpected Science Show
• Super Cold Show
• Fun Chemistry Show
• Science Magic Miracle Show
• Taramandal Show
• Sky Observation
• Mobile Robot Show
• Whispering Room
• TV Studio Show
• Robotic Arm Show
• History of Electronics Show

The Birla Industrial and Technological Musuem was the brain child of Dr. B. C. Ray. It is said that being inspired by the Deutsches Museum at Munich, Germany, Dr. Ray wanted a similar museum to be set up ata Kolkata. He was aided in his plans by Shri Ghanashyam Das Birla and together, they set up the BITM at the Birla Park, which once belonged to the Tagore family. The project was officially approved by the then Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, on behalf of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and thus the first government funded science museum in India came into being. The museum was opened to the public on the 2nd of May, 1959 by Professor Humayun Kabir. Since then, the BITM has played a large role in providing scientific education to the people of India.

It has not only been a hub of scientific geniuses, but is also considered to be the driving force behind other scientific centres like the Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum (VITM) and the Nehru Science Centre in Mumbai.

Today, the BITM’s family includes The Shrikrishna Science Centre; The Regional Science Centre, Bhubaneswar; The North Bengal Science Centre, Siliguri; The District Science Centre, Purulia; The Bardhaman Science Centre; The Dhenkanal Science Centre and the Digha Science Centre.

With an intention of spreading scientific education in the rural areas, the BITM organises various science demonstrations on mobile buses. Most of these exhibitions are based on the school curriculum and focus on aspects such as “Our Universe, “Laws of motion”, “Electricity” and “Popular Science”. Moreover, these presentations are backed up by display instructions on the related subject, film shows and quiz contests.

The BITM also provides many training programmes like Computer training and Amateur Radio Operator’s Training for students, teachers and amateur astronomers. Moreover, it also has a provision for all academic institutions, including institutions imparting professional courses to become it’s instituitional member by paying an annual membership fee of Rs. 1500.

Related External Links
Official Site of BITM