SRINAGAR: The Union Government has said that a Category-II Science Centre and an Innovation Hub at Srinagar are among the ongoing projects being implemented under the Scheme for Promotion of Culture of Science (SPoCS), aimed at fostering scientific temper and science awareness across the country.
The information was shared by Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in a written reply to an unstarred question in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.
According to the Ministry of Culture, the National Council of Science Museums (NCSM), the nodal agency for implementing SPoCS, is currently executing two projects in Jammu and Kashmir—a Category-II Science Centre in Srinagar and an Innovation Hub at the Srinagar Science Centre.
The Ministry said the SPoCS scheme supports the establishment of Science Cities, Science Centres, Innovation Hubs and Digital Planetariums to promote scientific temper, particularly among students, while showcasing the growth of science and technology and its applications for public welfare.
The government informed Parliament that 28 Science Centres have been established across various States and Union Territories under the scheme so far, along with 51 Innovation Hubs. However, no Science Centre or Innovation Hub has yet been inaugurated in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Ministry stated that the approved allocation under SPoCS stood at Rs 117.68 crore in 2025-26, of which Rs 117.58 crore was released. The approved allocation was Rs 61.50 crore in 2023-24 and Rs 20 crore in 2024-25, with releases of Rs 42.17 crore and Rs 18.67 crore, respectively.
Highlighting the scheme’s impact, the government said that 16,855,110 visitors, including students, had visited Science Centres established under SPoCS across the country as of March 31, 2026. It added that these centres regularly organise science exhibitions, demonstrations, educational programmes, innovation activities and outreach initiatives to encourage scientific thinking and student participation.
