CHENNAI: Starved of the funding needed to reinvent itself, the Periyar Science and Technology Centre today looks more like a relic of the past than a dash into the future.
Situated on a sprawling 22-acre campus in Kotturpuram, the centre functioning under the state’s higher education department is the Chennai’s leading hub for science education and awareness. Yet, as you enter the campus, tired and outdated landscaping gives way to a cluster of aging, yellowing buildings reminiscent of a bygone era. Inside the centre, that was last renovated at least 15 years ago, the experience is much the same.
Lakshmi Suresh, head of the Mathematics department at Lecole Chempaka Silver Rocks School, Thiruvananthapuram, who was accompanying Class 11 students on a school trip to Chennai, said, in many ways, the centre has failed to keep pace with changing needs of the children. “No new development is being highlighted. Also, many of the exhibits are below the grade level of the children,” she said.
Fatema Hussain, a law student, seconded it. “The interface is so outdated. In the age of AI, we are not used to reading text out of such large panels. There is also no staff to guide us through the galleries,” she said.
When the state government announced Rs 100 crore in the 2025-26 budget in March last year to revive the centre, and bring it on par with the Science Centre Singapore, a series of works were outlined to achieve this. The Singapore centre attracts over 1 million visitors annually, whereas the Periyar centre, although 1.3 times bigger in area, draws just a third of its visitors.
Dr K Shanmuga Sundaram, executive director (FAC) of the centre, said the entire facility needs to be revamped to offer a more interactive and digital experience.
At present, the Birla Planetarium, on the premises, offers 360-degree immersive shows. “We aim to transform this into an ultra-immersive full-dome experience, wherein the audience will feel fully enveloped by the projected world,” he said.
The revamp would also introduce elements of Industry 5.0 through playful and interactive exhibits on the Internet of Things (IoT), augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR), among others. “These exhibits will not only demonstrate how modern industries function to science enthusiasts but also foster a spirit of entrepreneurship among children,” he said.
However, funding has not materialised more than a year after the announcement. A G.O. in this regard issued in February this year also makes no mention of the funds.
In the absence of budgetary support, the centre is aggressively seeking CSR contributions. So far, it has reached out to 1,400 companies. Two of these - Zifo Technologies and FLSmidth - have already contributed Rs 1.5 crore and Rs 35 lakh respectively, while other industry partners like Garuda Aerospace, ISRO, CSIR are planning dedicated galleries highlighting their contributions to science and technology.
“We realise that if corporates contribute, it becomes a win-win. They get to showcase their industry expertise through miniature exhibits and receive naming credits, while we get world-class galleries for our audience,” Dr Sundaram said.
Apart from directly approaching companies, the centre is also working with NGOs to connect with potential CSR donors. “Assist India has already undertaken landscaping work in evolution park.”
Meanwhile, Mahesh Panchagnula, chair professor at IIT Madras emphasised the need for science centres in every major city. “Science centres are a great way to break down the elitism associated with STEM. Indeed, the value of science centres and museums lies in community participation.”