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`Vigyan Rail' launch put off

By P. Sunderarajan

NEW DELHI NOV. 5. There is some disappointing news for science enthusiasts. The launch of the country's first ever `Vigyan Rail' (science train) has been postponed.

It will now roll out next month and not, as earlier envisaged, on November 7 to mark the birth anniversary of the doyen of Indian science, Sir C.V. Raman.

According to official sources, the delay was mainly due to difficulties in coordination. In all, 15 Central Ministries and departments were involved in the project. While some of them had readied their exhibits, many others were yet to get their acts together.

According to present indications, the train would be ready for flag-off by the first week of next month.

The tentative date is December 6.

The sources said efforts were on to get the Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, to flag off the train, which was intended to spread awareness about the country's achievements in science and technology.

Earlier, the plan was to request the President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, to participate.

The 12-coach train that would traverse the length and breadth of the country over a period of eight months was being designed to showcase developments in agriculture, environment, oceanography, non-conventional energy sources, medicine, information technology, communication, defence, space and atomic energy.

Beginning its journey from the Safdarjung Railway Station here, the train would touch almost all the States that have a rail link, with a total of 51 stops of two to five days at important centres.

Apart from a core group of experts from Delhi, a large number of local experts and volunteers would be employed to help explain the exhibits in the local dialects.

Plans had been made to organise multimedia shows and other science popularisation programmes at all the places.

The train would depict the science and technology heritage of India, disseminate information on the various research institutions and provide a glimpse of the life and work of eminent scientists.

Estimated to cost about Rs. 5 crores, the project was being put together by the Ministries of Science and Technology, Culture and Railways.

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