Nitish Kumar flags off science exhibition bus, inaugurates virtual reality theatre in Patna

Patna, Sep 20 (IANS) Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday launched a series of ambitious science and technology initiatives at a programme held at the Indira Gandhi Science Complex (Planetarium) in Patna.

The highlight of the event was the flagging off of the Science Exhibition Bus, a mobile science service that will travel across Bihar to spread scientific knowledge among students and the general public.

The Chief Minister also inaugurated several key projects of the Science, Technology, and Technical Education Department by remotely unveiling plaques.

These included the commencement of construction for the Astra Park at the Planetarium and the inauguration of a souvenir sales centre.

In a major step for technical education, an M.Tech. programme in Civil Engineering was launched at the Bihar Remote Sensing Application Centre, Patna, under the joint aegis of the Bihar Council of Science and Technology and Bihar Engineering University.

The programme also witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Bihar Council of Science and Technology and the National Science Museum campus for the construction of an observatory dome with a telescope at the Patna Planetarium.

An Internship Portal to provide research and training opportunities for students was also unveiled.

Adding to the list of attractions, the Chief Minister inaugurated a state-of-the-art Virtual Reality (VR) Theatre, built at a cost of Rs 5.6 crore within the Planetarium's main building.

After the formal launch, CM Nitish personally experienced the VR setup and praised its design, stating that it would provide students and visitors with a unique opportunity to explore science and technology in an engaging and immersive way.

"These initiatives will inspire curiosity and innovation among students and strengthen Bihar's scientific environment," the Chief Minister said while interacting with officials and visitors.

The event marks a significant step in Bihar's ongoing efforts to promote scientific awareness and technological education, bringing interactive learning experiences to students across the state.

CM Nitish also awarded degrees and honours to engineering graduates of Bihar Engineering University at a grand convocation ceremony in Patna.

The event celebrated academic excellence across various branches of engineering, with top-performing students receiving medals, certificates, and special prizes.

The Chief Minister felicitated Suman Kumar of Motihari College of Engineering (Mechanical Engineering), who secured the highest rank overall in the university, with a cheque of Rs 50,001, a gold medal, a laptop, a certificate, and a B.Tech degree.

Branch-wise toppers were also honoured with a gold medal, a laptop, a certificate, and a B.Tech degree.

The awardees included Vaishnavi Priya (BCE, Bhagalpur) – Civil Engineering topper, Saloni Kumari (GEC, Nawada) – Electrical Engineering topper, Hrithik Raj (BCE, Bhagalpur) – Electronics & Communication Engineering topper, Pramit Kumar (BCE, Bhagalpur) – Computer Science & Engineering topper, and Rani Kumari (MIT, Muzaffarpur) – Information Technology topper

Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary, Science, Technology and Technical Education Minister Sumit Kumar Singh, Education Minister Sunil Kumar, Chief Minister’s Principal Secretary Deepak Kumar, Development Commissioner S. Siddharth, and Secretary of the Science, Technology and Technical Department Pratima S. Verma were among the dignitaries present on the occasion.

Congratulating the graduates, the Chief Minister emphasised the government's commitment to promoting technical education and creating opportunities for young engineers to contribute to Bihar's development.

--IANS

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