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Scheme for Promotion of Culture of Science: Science Centre (Category-I, Category-II, Category-III)

The scheme component aims to promote hands-on doing science through experimental, self-discovery exhibits. Financial assistance for capital costs and corpus fund under three categories is provided to State/Union Territory Governments and their Societies.

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Source: myScheme.gov.in ↗Last verified: 5 Oct 2026·YojnaGuru is not affiliated with or endorsed by any government body

About This Scheme

The component Science Centres - Category-I, Category-II, Category-III under the Scheme for Promotion of Culture of Science by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India aims to provide the scope of doing science by adopting a hands-on approach, offering the visitor a number of experimental options through which they can discover scientific concepts themselves. Through this component, financial assistance towards capital cost and corpus fund is provided to State Governments, Union Territories, and the Societies/Authorities promoted by them, under three categories based on the population of the city or town. This mode of education has so far proved to be very effective in supplementing formal science education in the country. The component is implemented by the National Council of Science Museums. > Objectives: - To portray the growth of science and technology and their application in industry and human welfare, with a view to developing a scientific attitude and temper. - To create awareness and enhance public understanding, appreciation and engagement of the public in the process of Science and Technology. - To popularise science and technology by organising exhibitions, seminars, popular lectures, science camps and various other programmes. - To supplement science education given in schools and colleges, and to organise out-of-school educational activities. - To design, develop and fabricate science museum exhibits, demonstration equipment and scientific teaching aids. - To organise training programmes for science teachers, students, young entrepreneurs, technicians, physically challenged persons, housewives and others.

Benefits

₹31.5 Cr · annual

Science Centre – Category I:

Location	Capital Cost	Corpus Fund	Total Project Cost
All locations other than the North Eastern Region, including Sikkim, Hilly Terrain and Island territories	₹31.50 crore	₹9.50 crore	₹41.00 crore
North Eastern Region including Sikkim	₹37.80 crore	₹11.30 crore	₹49.10 crore
Hilly Terrain and Island Territories other than location in North Eastern Region including Sikkim	₹37.80 crore	₹11.30 crore	₹49.10 crore

Science Centre – Category II:

Location	Capital Cost	Corpus Fund	Total Project Cost
All locations other than the North Eastern Region, including Sikkim, Hilly Terrain and Island territories	₹17.10 crore	₹5.15 crore	₹22.25 crore
North Eastern Region including Sikkim	₹20.50 crore	₹6.20 crore	₹26.70 crore
Hilly Terrain and Island Territories other than locations in North Eastern Region including Sikkim	₹20.50 crore	₹6.20 crore	₹26.70 crore

Science Centre – Category III:

Location	Capital Cost	Corpus Fund	Total Project Cost
All locations other than the North Eastern Region, including Sikkim, Hilly Terrain and Island territories	₹5.10 crore	₹1.55 crore	₹6.65 crore
North Eastern Region including Sikkim	₹6.10 crore	₹1.85 crore	₹7.95 crore
Hilly Terrain and Island Territories other than locations in North Eastern Region including Sikkim	₹6.10 crore	₹1.85 crore	₹7.95 crore

Conditions Attached to the Benefit:

Under Type A funding, for Science Centres to be set up in locations/regions where Science Centre activities have not yet started, or in priority areas, the Ministry of Culture may consider providing full funding for such Centres through NCSM. In no case will more than one Science Centre be set up in any State/Union Territory in future under the scheme. In States/Union Territories where NCSM centres already exist, such provision shall not be applicable.
Under Type B funding, the capital cost for a Science Centre (Category 1, 2 and 3) is shared on a 50:50 basis, except for the North Eastern Region including Sikkim, where it is shared on a 90:10 basis. The corpus fund is shared 20:80.
Under Type C funding, the State Government/Union Territory fully funds the project and sets it up with technical support from NCSM against payment of consultancy charges.
The corpus fund meets the operational deficit funding. The principal shall in no case be utilised for any activity. Not more than 85 per cent of the interest can be utilised to meet the operational deficit after inauguration, and a minimum of 15 per cent is to be added back to the corpus fund.
Pile foundation, if required, will be considered after getting the Soil Test Report; the additional cost is entirely borne by the State Government.
Third-party quality assurance charges at 1 per cent of the estimated cost are entirely borne by the State Government.
Escalation of project cost is governed by the successive cost index over DPAR-2019 as published by the Central Public Works Department.
The Mobile Science Exhibition bus facility will be added to the Science Centre only on allotment of a separate budget by the State Government/Union Territory.

Indicative Break-up of the Capital Cost:

Category I: Expenditure on Building construction works – Grand Total ₹23.07 crore, for a Science Centre of 4,000 square metres minimum. Expenditure on Exhibits, Equipment and Stores – Grand Total ₹8.43 crore, which includes three thematic galleries of approximately 600 square metres with 50 exhibits each (₹3.75 crore), Science Park of approximately 4 acres with pathway and 50 required exhibits (₹1.00 crore), inflatable dome planetarium system called Taramandal (₹0.10 crore), fully functional exhibit development laboratory (₹0.25 crore), other facilities like Computer training area, Library, Conference Room, Stores and Office (₹0.80 crore), training of required staff members and other miscellaneous expenses (₹0.15 crore), 3D theatre facility with equipment and furniture (₹1.00 crore), miscellaneous building or auditorium furnishing, signage and murals (₹0.25 crore), and salary and Travelling Allowance/Daily Allowance of project staff (₹1.130 crore). Corpus Fund at 30 per cent of the project cost.
Category 2: Expenditure on Building construction works – Grand Total ₹12.60 crore, for a Science Centre of 2,000 square metres minimum. Expenditure on Exhibits, Equipment and Stores – Grand Total ₹4.50 crore, which includes two thematic galleries of approximately 250 square metres with 25 exhibits (₹2.00 crore), Science Park of approximately 3 acres with pathway and required exhibits (₹0.80 crore), inflatable dome planetarium system (₹0.10 crore), fully functional exhibit development laboratory (₹0.20 crore), other facilities like Computer training area, Library, Conference Room, Stores and Office (₹0.40 crore), and salary and Travelling Allowance/Daily Allowance of project staff (₹1.00 crore). Corpus Fund at 30 per cent of the project cost.
Category 3: Expenditure on Building construction works – Grand Total ₹3.55 crore, for a Science Centre of 500 square metres minimum. Expenditure on Exhibits, Equipment and Stores – Grand Total ₹1.55 crore, which includes one Fun Science Gallery of approximately 100 square metres with 20 exhibits (₹0.50 crore), setting up of Temporary Exhibition cum Multipurpose hall of approximately 100 square metres (₹0.40 crore), Innovation and Activity Centre (₹0.50 crore), and salary and Travelling Allowance/Daily Allowance of project staff (₹0.15 crore). Corpus Fund at 30 per cent of the project cost.

Mode of Disbursement:

For a Science Centre set up under Type A and Type B, NCSM will complete the Science Centre on a turn-key basis, including construction and commissioning, and hand over the project after completion to the State Government/Union Territory. NCSM shall start the construction work only after the share of funding is received from the State/Union Territory Government.
For a Science Centre set up under Type C, the State Government/Union Territory shall do the construction of the building as per inputs from NCSM and develop the Science Park as per the advice of NCSM. NCSM shall provide technical and professional support at cost and consultancy charges to the State/Union Territory Government for the project.

Frequency of Disbursement — Year-wise Utilization of Capital Expenditure:Category 1: 40 per cent in the first year, 40 per cent in the second year and 20 per cent in the third year:

All locations other than North East including Sikkim/hilly terrain and island territories: Government of India releases ₹6.30 crore, ₹6.30 crore and ₹3.15 crore, totalling ₹15.75 crore capital, plus a maximum corpus of ₹1.90 crore, making ₹17.65 crore. The State/Union Territory Government is to release ₹23.35 crore upfront, including the minimum share of corpus fund of ₹7.60 crore.
North East region including Sikkim: Government of India releases ₹13.61 crore, ₹13.61 crore and ₹6.80 crore, totalling ₹34.02 crore capital, plus a maximum corpus of ₹2.26 crore, making ₹36.28 crore. The State/Union Territory Government is to release ₹12.82 crore upfront, including the minimum share of corpus fund of ₹9.04 crore.
Hilly terrains and island territories other than the above: Government of India releases ₹7.56 crore, ₹7.56 crore and ₹3.78 crore, totalling ₹18.90 crore capital, plus a maximum corpus of ₹2.26 crore, making ₹21.16 crore. The State/Union Territory Government is to release ₹27.94 crore upfront, including the minimum share of corpus fund of ₹9.04 crore.

Category 2: 40 per cent in the first year, 40 per cent in the second year and 20 per cent in the third year:

All locations other than North East, including Sikkim: Government of India releases ₹3.42 crore, ₹3.42 crore and ₹1.71 crore, totalling ₹8.55 crore capital, plus a maximum corpus of ₹1.03 crore, making ₹9.58 crore. The State/Union Territory Government is to release ₹12.67 crore upfront, including the minimum share of corpus fund of ₹4.12 crore.
North East regions including Sikkim: Government of India releases ₹7.38 crore, ₹7.38 crore and ₹3.69 crore, totalling ₹18.45 crore capital, plus a maximum corpus of ₹1.24 crore, making ₹19.69 crore. The State/Union Territory Government is to release ₹7.01 crore upfront, including the minimum share of corpus fund of ₹4.96 crore.
Hilly terrains and island territories other than the above: Government of India releases ₹4.10 crore, ₹4.10 crore and ₹2.05 crore, totalling ₹10.25 crore capital, plus a maximum corpus of ₹1.24 crore, making ₹11.49 crore. The State/Union Territory Government is to release ₹15.21 crore upfront, including the minimum share of corpus fund of ₹4.96 crore.

Category 3: 60 per cent in the first year and 40 per cent in the second year:

All locations other than North East, including Sikkim: Government of India releases ₹1.53 crore and ₹1.02 crore, totalling ₹2.55 crore capital, plus a maximum corpus of ₹0.31 crore, making ₹2.86 crore. The State/Union Territory Government is to release ₹3.79 crore upfront, including the minimum share of corpus fund of ₹1.24 crore.
North East regions including Sikkim: Government of India releases ₹3.30 crore and ₹2.19 crore, totalling ₹5.49 crore capital, plus a maximum corpus of ₹0.37 crore, making ₹5.86 crore. The State/Union Territory Government is to release ₹2.09 crore upfront, including the minimum share of corpus fund of ₹1.48 crore.
Hilly terrains and island territories other than the above: Government of India releases ₹1.83 crore and ₹1.22 crore, totalling ₹3.05 crore capital, plus a maximum corpus of ₹0.37 crore, making ₹3.42 crore. The State/Union Territory Government is to release ₹4.53 crore upfront, including the minimum share of corpus fund of ₹1.48 crore.

Expected Time of Completion:

Completion time from the date of issue of Letter of Intent for the construction work: Category 1 – 42 months; Category 2 – 36 months; Category 3 – 30 months.
Project timeline from the date of placing of order for construction of building:
Category 1: Construction of Building – 27 months; Development of Science Park – 12 months; Fabrication of exhibits – 30 months; Installation of exhibits – 9 months after completion of other facilities; Opening of the centre – 42 months approximately.
Category 2: Construction of Building – 21 months; Development of Science Park – 12 months; Fabrication of exhibits – 24 months; Installation of exhibits – 6 months after completion of other facilities; Opening of the centre – 36 months approximately.
Category 3: Construction of Building – 21 months; Fabrication of exhibits – 18 months; Installation of exhibits/Innovation and creative corner facility – 8 months after completion of other facilities; Opening of the centre – 30 months approximately.

Validity/Post-Sanction Obligations:

Over a period of 5 years from opening, the Science Centre should strive to generate at least 50 per cent of its operating cost, achieve an annual visitors footfall of around 2,50,000 for Category 1 (2,00,000 for the North East Region), around 1,50,000 for Category 2 (75,000 for the North East Region) and around 30,000 for Category 3, and organize a minimum of 25 science communication activities annually, in-house and outreach.

Eligibility

Note: You may be eligible based on the information shown. Please verify the official eligibility requirements before applying.

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The applicant should be a State Government, a Union Territory, or a Society/Authority promoted by the State/Union Territory Government.
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The applicant proposing a Category 1 Science Centre should locate it in a city or town with a population of 15,00,000 or more.
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The applicant proposing a Category 2 Science Centre should locate it in a city or town with a population between 5,00,000 and 15,00,000.
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The applicant proposing a Category 3 Science Centre should locate it in a city, town or location with a population of less than 5,00,000.
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The applicant proposing a Category 1 Science Centre should provide a minimum of 7.0 acres of land.
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The applicant proposing a Category 2 Science Centre should provide a minimum of 5.0 acres of land.
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The applicant proposing a Category 3 Science Centre should provide a minimum of 2.0 acres of land.
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The applicant should ensure that the land is preferably centrally located, easily accessible, fully developed, without any low-lying area, of fairly regular shape, and secured with a boundary wall without any encumbrances.
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The applicant State Government/Union Territory should give a commitment to provide free land and funds as per norms.
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The applicant should employ adequate professional staff for operation and management.
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The applicant should obtain all other statutory clearances and approvals required by the local authorities.
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The applicant should choose the land in consultation with, and with the approval of, NCSM.
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The applicant should ensure that the land is free from all encumbrances and encroachment.
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The applicant should ensure that electricity, water, sewerage connection and telecommunication facility are available in the nearby vicinity.
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The applicant should ensure that the land has good road connectivity for easy access and transport.
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The applicant should not change the land once offered; if any such incident is noticed after release of grant, the released amount shall be recovered with the applicable rate of interest.
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The applicant should provide provisions for the solar rooftop in the Detailed Project Report.
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The applicant should ensure that buildings are designed keeping in view applicable fire safety norms of the location and the National Building Code.
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The applicant should sign a Memorandum of Understanding with NCSM for implementation, if the project is undertaken and implemented by NCSM.
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> Preference/Priority/Relaxation:
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For Category 2 Science Centres in the North East region, hilly terrains and island territories, 2.5 to 3.0 acres of land will be acceptable provided the land has good vicinity and accessibility.
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In case the land is located in the heart of the city where land availability is scarce, the land requirement may be relaxed in the case of science centres. The building may be constructed in multiple stories utilising the available Floor Space Ratio of the location. However, the Science Park shall be an integral part of the science centre.
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Under Type B operational mode, State Governments/Union Territory administrations desirous of having more than one science centre, or wanting accelerated development of Science Centres, shall be given priority, provided they agree to bear the entire operating cost of the centre after it is developed and handed over to the States/Union Territories.
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Under Type C, State Governments agreeing to fully fund the science centre project, provide land and other required facilities, and operate and manage them shall be accorded priority.
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Under Type A, priority areas and locations/regions where Science Centre activities have not yet started may be considered for full funding from the Ministry of Culture.
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The eligibility criteria of population, land, funding pattern, and feasibility and financial viability may be relaxed and/or modified in special cases/circumstances by the Honourable Chief Minister, Government of India, as stated in the document.
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In construction, priority/preference may be given to local material, labour and expertise; use of renewable energy and energy-saving devices may be given top preference.

Required Documents

✦
Detailed Project Report In The Prescribed Format (Annexure E), Preferably As A Hard-Bound Volume In A4 Size In Portrait Alignment
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Cover Sheet
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Abstract And Executive Summary
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Profile Sheet Of The Applicant
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Copy Of Registration
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Memorandum Of Association Or Trust Deed
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Letter Of Support From State Government
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Letter Of Recommendation From District Authority
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Authorisation Certificate
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Commitments For Space, Operation And Sustenance Of The Facility
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Audited Statement Of Accounts For Last Three Years
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Permanent Account Number (PAN) Card (If Applicable)
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Service Tax Number (If Applicable)
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Details Of Registration (Copy To Be Provided As Annexure, If Applicable)
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Physical Report On Site In The Prescribed Format (Annexure E-1)
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Site Map And Google Map (To Be Attached With The Physical Report On Site)
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Non-Encumbrance Certificate From Local Revenue Officials
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Copy Of The Demand Survey Report (If A Demand Survey Was Conducted For The Need Of The Science Centre At The Proposed Location)
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Design Brief For Building And Infrastructure
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Drawings, Details, Views, Sketches And Supporting Photographs On Pen Drive (Optional)

✦ Required ◦ Optional

How to Apply

IIn-person

Step 1: Determine the Category 1 for a population of 15,00,000 or more with a minimum of 7.0 acres; Category 2 for a population between 5,00,000 and 15,00,000 with a minimum of 5.0 acres (2.5 to 3.0 acres for the North East region, hilly terrains and island territories); Category 3 for a population less than 5,00,000 with a minimum of 2.0 acres.

Step 2: Decide the funding Type A (full funding from the Ministry of Culture), Type B (shared 50:50, or 90:10 for the North Eastern Region including Sikkim) or Type C (full State funding).

Step 3: Select the land in consultation with, and with the approval of, the National Council of Science Museums.

Step 4: Obtain the Detailed Project Report format at Annexure E, with Annexure E-1 for the Physical Report on Site.

Step 5: Prepare the Detailed Project Report, including the feasibility report, demand survey, commitment of land free of cost and recurring cost, projected footfall and expected revenue generation. An incomplete Detailed Project Report will render the application liable for rejection.

Step 6: Attach the mandatory documents, i.e., Copy of Registration, Memorandum of Association or Trust Deed, Letter of Support from State Government, Letter of Recommendation from District Authority, Authorisation Certificate, Commitments for space and operation, and Audited Statement of Accounts for last three years.

Step 7: Submit the proposal to the Joint Secretary (Museums), Ministry of Culture, Government of India, Shastri Bhawan, New Delhi-110001.

Step 8: The proposal is considered on the basis of challenge method guidelines, as and when issued by the Government of India.

Step 9: The Detailed Project Report is appraised by the Project Appraisal Committee for recommendation to the competent authority.

Step 10: Obtain approval from the Government of India.

Step 11: Sign the Memorandum of Understanding with the National Council of Science Museums, if implemented by it.

Step 12: Form the Society immediately after approval of the project and release of the State/Union Territory share of capital cost and corpus fund; the corpus fund share is released upfront prior to commencement of works.

Step 13: Construction under Type A and Type B, the National Council of Science Museums completes the centre on a turn-key basis and starts work only after the share of funding is received; under Type C, the State constructs the building as per its inputs.

Step 14: Complete recruitment of core staff within 6 months of the release of funds for 18 posts for Category 1, 8 for Category 2 and 4 for Category 3.

Step 15: Complete the project within 42 months for Category 1, 36 months for Category 2 and 30 months for Category 3, from the date of issue of the Letter of Intent.

Step 16: Monitoring is done by an Executive Council set up by the State/Union Territory Government under Type B and Type C.

Step 17: After opening, achieve the Outcome Evaluation Indicators over 5 years for at least 50 per cent of operating cost generated, annual footfall of around 2,50,000 for Category 1, 1,50,000 for Category 2 and 30,000 for Category 3, and a minimum of 25 science communication activities annually.

Quick Info

Level: Central Government
Max benefit: ₹31.5 Cr

Data Sources

https://www.myscheme.gov.in/schemes/spocs123 ↗Accessed Today
https://www.myscheme.gov.in/schemes/spocs123 ↗Accessed 8 days ago
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https://www.myscheme.gov.in/schemes/spocs123 ↗Accessed 1 months ago
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