Shri O. V. Sheth Regional Community Science Center(RCSC) - Science museum in Rajkot - Saurashtra, India

Excellent activities for the service to science are carried out by this centre. May it be basic sciences, electronics, astronomy and life sciences. This centre ignites the young minds to bring out the scientist in them. I strongly suggest the parents to bring their children here and make them a member

It's a fun with science place for people of all ages. Bring your kids here to get them hooked to science and physics. They run an astronomy club. There is a planetarium. The building also houses a computer learning centre in which people of age can enroll.

It's the only science centre in the region, located in the lung of the city, supported by an excellent qualified, dedicated and selfless team. Unfortunately it is badly in need of support, and the lack of funds and space is clearly visible. It is the need of the hour that individuals interested in seeing any development in science gather all the support possible, to ensure that the place sustains.

ar 1979, inyearIn y. group earas ready to work at Rajkot on development of scientific temper and a beginning was made in the name of "Prayog" to remove belief in miracle and Superstition etc. known as "Andhashradha" In this one has to come in confontration with sadhus, Tantriks etc. etc. To avoid this, it was thought desirable to spread knowledge of science to explain various tacties adopted by propagonist of Andhashradha. Apart from this, it was observed that Science and Technology was entering everyday life and would spread in 21st Century and for this, interest in science subjects for students of this generation was necessary as the same was decreasing and schools were finding dearth of students in science streams. Science was taught in the classroom on black board and on the basis of the syllabus and students found the same difficult and dull. This was not true as Science is interesting and is in daily life. Thus a concept of Science learning and teaching through "Hands on activities" and experiments was adopted. "Prayog" was inaugrated at the hands of Dr. H.N. Sethna, the then chairman of Atomic Energy Commission of India On Gandhi Jayanti of 1982 to run on a part time basis in a small place in Balbhavan at Rajkot. These activities were expanded when land was made available at a prestigious place at Rajkot known as Race Course by Bharat Sevak Samaj (BSS) without attaching any strings. SEF is indebted to BSS. On this plot, a project of small science centre was planned from the donation of Late Shri Jamnadas O. Sheth in the memory of his father Late Shri Odhavji Velji sheth. Subsequently officers of Rajkot Municipal corporation expressed their desire to associate, arranged for the Capital Expenditure and agreed to contribute 75% recurring expenditure and MOU was entered into in July 1991. This present "Shri O.V. Sheth Community Science Centre (RCSC)" started its activities from May 1997 under the leadership of Shri Gijubhai Bharad who developed the RCSC up to 30th June 2003. Thereafter the same is being run with the help of Rajkot Managing Committee and Shri Ramesh Bhayani Retired Prof. of Chemistry as Director Academic and Shri C.S. Dhamsania, retired Principal of Dhamsaniya college at Rajkot as Administrator and Shri Ashok Kumar Tanna as Chief Executive Officer. Shri O.V. Sheth Regional Community Science Centre, Rajkot, is a Regional level science centre working in the field of science popularization. The RCSC offers a fascinating opportunity to experience the science ideas that have totally changed our lives. RCSC is based in an attractive building in the heart of Rajkot, the Race Course area. The infrastructure facilities at the RCSC include Aryabhatt Science Museum with over 100 working science models, Five well equipped laboratories dedicated to Electronics, Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics and Biology, Late Shri Narottam Shah library having about 5000 + books and about 50+periodicals, A well equipped 200 seat Auditorium with all multimedia facilities, A 500 seat Open Air Auditorium, An exhibition gallery, A sky watching tower and an administrative office. The Centre has a fully furnished mechanical workshop that is chiefly used to produce the mathematics models, museum models etc. The RCSC produces about 200 odd mathematics teaching and learning aid that are sold by the centre on no profit - no loss criteria. The centre also has a large theory hall that can be used for lectures for a small group.

There is science museum but is it worst maintained. Many instruments are not working. And there is no cleaning. It is the ultimate example of ignorance of Government towards Science Museum. And there is Sunday Science Center program going on in which students upto 9th standard are given practical knowledge of science with various activities.

Today my wife and I visited O. V. Sheth Regional Community Science Centre, Aryabhatt Science Museum, and Pramukh Swami Planetarium at racecourse, Rajkot, Gujarat. All three places are in an old, unattractive, poorly maintained building. Although the ticket was only Rs 5.00 for the Science Canter and Museum, there was nothing there to see, know, learn, enjoy, and get excited. All the lengthy information about everything was in regional language, Gujarati. There was nothing worth noticing in the planetarium, either. At 5 p.m., we were the only two visitors! We could not see the show in the planetarium because they wanted minimum five spectators. We both felt that the visit was wastage of time.

Excellent news. The very FIRST certificate course is started on ASTRONOMY over here. I am one to observe Sky by begest telescope in Gujarat. I will rate star letter on.

Today visited With family and watched Solar Eclipse through telescope. Facilitated by Big Bang Astronomy Club.