INAUGURATION OF 'KNOW YOUR MUSEUM PROGRAMME ' on 16th June, 2011 New Delhi

INAUGURATION OF ‘KNOW YOUR MUSEUM PROGRAMME ON 16TH JUNE, 2011 AT THE NATIONAL MUSEUM

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Director General, National Museum Dr.C.V. Ananda Bose, Teachers, officials of the National Museum and my dear children.

Museums have attained a place of importance in the modern world. They are identified with national heritage and culture. The very purpose of the existence of a museum is education in the broad sense of the term. Though a modern Museum has to offer something really instructive to every class and category of visitors, it has its first and foremost responsibility towards the student community. All the possible resources and modern methods should be utilized to let the huge educational potentiality of our museums bear upon the enhancement of knowledge for young minds. It will have manifold effects for the cause of education, as well as for the development of the Museum itself. Every effort should be made to introduce some form of educational activity for the school children in all Museums.

The education programmes of the Museums may be planned in such a way that the students are helped to become more and more informed about the objects displayed in the Museum galleries. To hold workshops, films shows, nationwide painting competition, poster making, summer holiday programmes, multimedia software on the computers and public lectures would keep the student communities engrossed in Museum activities during vacations and also throughout the year.


There are a number of educational institutions which are not in a position to come to museums because of various reasons, so the Museum has to reach out to them by setting up Museums in the campuses. This can be done by means of photographs of original objects and replicas of the art objects. The National Museum has recently set up the first People’s Museum at St. Ephrem’s Higher Secondary School, Mannanam, Kottayam in Kerala. Another campus Museum is coming up at Sacred Heart College, Kochi and the Kangra Art Museum is coming up in Dharmasala, Himachal Pradesh.

The People’s Museum movement will help achieve the ultimate purpose of the Museum to give information on our heritage to the student community in the country.
The National Museum has in its possession more than 2,00,000 art objects belonging to various categories. There is also increasing demand from people for easier access and better information about the Museum collection. This has necessitated for a new and better technology adoption in functioning of the Museum. Towards achieving perfect and accurate documentation, digitization can facilitate an easy access to the art objects without causing a damage to artifacts. Beside this digitization programme, the need of the hour is to conserve and preserve our delicate objects for further decay. Museum authorities should pay more attention to this aspect also.

I have been told that the National Museum has an innovative project of Virtual Reality Tour of the Museum in which the artifacts will be digitally recorded in 3D system. The visitors may see the artifacts in their own computers and laptops. The visitors feel that they are on a virtual guided tour of a Museum

In the era of modern technology, the National Museum may adopt networking with other institutions. The Museum network will provide rich information about the artifacts, its marketing product and also gave information of audio/video data information. The network shall fulfil demand for information exchange and transfer in an accurate, reliable and secure manner.

Just as food is essential for the physical sustenance of man, art and culture are essential for his mental and spiritual sustenance. We look up to the National Museum to provide artistic and cultural well being of the nation.


I am happy that the National Museum has taken a good initiative to start the ‘Know Your Museum’ programme in this summer vacation. This will go a long way in creating awareness among school children about the art-objects in the National Museum collection. This will also strengthen their inborn creativity, imagination and innovative skills through observation of Museum objects.

JAI HIND