Chief Minister D K Shivakumar has pledged complete support for the establishment of a planetarium in Hampi, a project proposed by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman. The assurance was given during the inauguration of India’s first LED dome planetarium and the Data Analysis Training and Astronomy Resource Centre (DATARC) in Mysuru on Friday. The facility operates under the Cosmology Education and Research-Training Centre (COSMOS) project and mirrors the model recently launched in Mysuru.
Addressing the gathering, Shivakumar emphasized that Karnataka produces 1.5 lakh engineers annually, significantly contributing to India’s global growth. He stated that the success story of Indian science, technology, and space research is incomplete without Karnataka, highlighting the rich history of knowledge in Mysuru and Bengaluru, which was fostered by the Wadiyar Maharajas. The Chief Minister also noted that while the new planetarium focuses on space research and the Bharat Vann project addresses green cover conservation, both initiatives are essential for the state’s future.