Taare Zameen Par: Karnataka to resume ‘mobile planetarium’ project, floats tender

Karnataka Science and Technology Promotion Society (KSTePS) has decided to resume its ‘Mobile Digital Planetarium’ initiative, also known as Taare Zameen Par, after suspending it in 2024.

The state has floated a new tender to operate and maintain 11 mobile planetariums aimed at reviving scientific curiosity and bringing astronomy education to students in rural and semi-urban areas.

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Launched in 2017 under the ‘Shala Angaladalli Taralaya’ (Planetarium at School Doorstep) programme, Karnataka was the first state in India to introduce mobile planetariums that could travel to schools. Designed by Bengaluru-based edtech startup Varnaaz Technologies, the project offers an immersive digital experience of the night sky for students.

Of the 11 planetariums, six will be deployed exclusively in the Kalyana Karnataka region, which includes some of the state’s most educationally underserved districts.

“The mobile planetarium project has been one of the most innovative science outreach programmes of the government. Its revival will help thousands of students experience space science firsthand,” said an official from KSTePS.

A government evaluation by the Karnataka Evaluation and Monitoring Authority (KMEA) found that the Mobile Digital Planetarium (2017-2023) greatly improved students’ curiosity and interest in science, particularly among rural students and girls.

“Teachers and parents praised its impact on learning and engagement, while operators noted its success in taking science to remote schools", the report stated. The report suggested continued teacher training, better logistics, and inclusive support to sustain and expand the programme’s reach.

Dinesh Badagandi, founder and CEO of Varnaaz Technologies, which designed the mobile planetariums, told Moneycontrol that the KMEA study found the project’s impact to be “phenomenal.” “The evaluation took nearly a year, and teams visited schools across the state. Many students who later pursued engineering and medicine credited this programme for sparking their interest in science,” he said.

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“Teachers, too, reported a visible change in student engagement. There was a phenomenal increase in participation and curiosity among students after the shows,” he added.

Each mobile planetarium - built on modified Tempo Traveller or Tata Winger vans - will be equipped with two inflatable domes (5m diameter), a 360-degree digital projection system with a fisheye lens, high-end computer systems, LED TVs, power generators, and air-conditioning units. The vans will also carry educational exhibits, telescopes, public addressing systems, and GPS tracking units.

According to the tender, each mobile planetarium team will include two staff members - a science graduate instructor proficient in Kannada and English, and a licensed driver. The selected firm will also be responsible for the maintenance, inspection, and certification of all equipment before operations begin.

KSTePS has also mandated that, in addition to school visits, public shows be conducted for at least 50 days a year, especially during vacations, in association with local panchayats, science centres, and other organisations.

“The aim is to make astronomy accessible beyond classrooms - to every curious mind in the state,” the KSTePS official added.

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