Pune Zilla Parishad to develop two state-of-the-art ‘Science Parks’

Pune Zilla Parishad plans to create two 'Science Parks' for hands-on learning, benefiting Zilla Parishad and private school students, funded by CSR contributions.

PUNE: To encourage scientific learning, the Pune Zilla Parishad on Thursday announced plans to develop two state-of-the-art ‘Science Parks’ aimed at fostering curiosity, creativity, and advanced skills among students. The parks will cater primarily to students of Zilla Parishad schools, while also being accessible to students of private schools at a nominal fee.

Pune Zilla Parishad to develop two state-of-the-art ‘Science Parks’

Last month, a delegation of 18 representatives, including 10 science teachers, the district education officer (DEO), and two DIET officials; led by Gajanan Patil, CEO, Pune Zilla Parishad, visited the Agastya International Foundation campus in Kuppam, Bengaluru. The delegation studied Agastya’s experiential learning models, which served as blueprint for the design of Pune’s upcoming Science Parks.

Each Science Park is designed to accommodate a daily footfall of 200 to 300 students, with both parks capable of hosting up to 600 to 700 students between them. Students will have the opportunity to stay at the site for up to three days, ensuring an immersive learning experience.

Officials said, “The parks will include specialised learning zones such as: discovery centre (physics), chemistry lab (Chemagica), bio-discovery centre, Math Park, innovation and design thinking studio, AI, electronics and robotics lab, and ecology learning spaces. Additionally, a centre for creative teaching will support building teacher capacity through activity-based, hands-on pedagogy.

The development of the parks will take place in two phases with phase one comprising core facilities such as labs, learning zones, and residential blocks for students; and phase two comprising advanced facilities such as an astronomy and planetarium centre, creative expression auditorium, and additional residential learning blocks. Each park will span approximately 10 to 25 acres, with environmentally-friendly structures designed to integrate seamlessly with the surrounding landscape.

The parks will be funded through corporate social responsibility (CSR) contributions, with an estimated investment of ₹10 crore per park. The Zilla Parishad aims to complete the construction of the parks within eight months of finalising the locations. Currently, five villages namely Tandulwadi, Karhaati, Dive, Rase, and Golegaon are under consideration. Once detailed assessments of connectivity and local infrastructure are completed, the two sites will be finalised for the parks.

In collaboration with the Agastya Foundation, teachers will receive specialised training for the first five years after which, the parks will be fully managed by the Zilla Parishad. The foundation will also provide ongoing technical support to ensure that the parks deliver high-quality experiential learning.

ZP CEO Patil said, “Out of the five villages in the district, two villages will soon be selected and actual work for the ‘Science Parks’ will begin. There is no need for grand buildings for the parks; instead, there will be open but eco-friendly, minimalist structures. A memorandum of understanding has been signed with the foundation and for the first five years, they will provide training to our teachers. Along with that, technical support will also be provided by them.”