Science and technology minister Himanta Biswa Sarma speaks at the launch of the science centres on Thursday. Picture by Eastern Projections

Feb. 28: Imagine a life without electricity to run your appliances, trains and cars to take you to various places and phones to talk to your loved ones. Well, in short, imagine a life without the contribution of science and technology.

Science and technology are the vital ingredients for the progress of any state. Taking a cue from this, Dispur today promised a bouquet of measures to give priority to science and technology in the development of the state.

Inaugurating the block-level Aryabhatta Science Centres on the National Science Day, science and technology minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said science and technology would be the focus in the next few years for the state. They are the most important ingredients for the progress of the state, he said.

“The Aryabhatta Science Centres would be instrumental in building scientific attitude and temperament among the students and members of the community. Today we have laid the seed and we hope, in times to come, it will flourish and realise its dreams,” Sarma said.

The science centres would be set up in all the 219 development blocks of the state. Sarma said the science centres should not remain only at the block level, but should become the knowledge hub even at the village level. “These centres should become the policy makers,” he said.

The science centres at the block level aim to provide science and technological services to the people of the state — particularly to children and rural community. It also attempts to make science education exciting through experiments and other science-related activities.

The minister announced that two more planetariums will come at Kokrajhar and Jorhat at a cost of Rs 10 crore each, while the Guwahati planetarium is being upgraded at a cost of Rs 7 crore.

The government will also sponsor research on science issues. Till now the researchers had to approach the department of science and technology for funds.

Apart from this, there will be a science library in all the schools of the state. He also plans to organise science camps for teachers.

Each of these centres would be equipped with a set of hand tools, scientific apparatus and instruments, apart from low-cost experimental kits and books.

He said after six months, there would be a review of the Aryabhatta Science Centres and the best 50 will be given additional financial assistance.

“There is no problem in getting money. All one needs is a positive attitude,” Sarma said.

The director of the Assam Science Technology and Environment Council, A.K. Baruwa, and other officials were present on the occasion, apart from a large number of schoolchildren from the city. A total of 219 children, one each from the Aryabhatta Science Centre, would be taken on a study tour to renowned scientific institutions in the country.