Dharwad: For thousands of schoolchildren visiting the Dharwad Regional Science Centre (DRSC), mathematics is no longer a subject confined to textbooks and blackboards. At the Srinivasa Ramanujan Mathematics Park, students explore geometry, algebra, and trigonometry by touching, experimenting, and interacting with colorful models that bring abstract concepts to life.
Spread across one acre within the Karnatak University campus, the park has emerged as one of the most popular attractions at the DRSC. The first facility of its kind in South India, it aims to remove the fear often linked to mathematics and replace it with curiosity and enjoyment.
Designed in line with the curriculum of Classes 5 to 10, the park features 29 interactive exhibits covering concepts such as triangles, pie charts, arithmetic operations, and the Pythagorean theorem. Operating under the theme, “See and Understand, Make and Understand,” the park promotes experiential learning rather than rote memorisation.
“Many students consider mathematics difficult. These models help them understand concepts easily while enjoying the learning process,” said DRSC staff member Sandeep.
Senior science and mathematics teacher Ritu Navalli of Vidyaranya High School noted that students show greater enthusiasm when concepts are demonstrated practically rather than taught through conventional classroom methods. The Mathematics Park is part of a larger vision that is steadily transforming the DRSC into one of North Karnataka’s leading centres for science education. Situated on a sprawling 24-acre campus, the centre has conducted over 1,000 workshops, training programmes, and outreach activities, fostering scientific temper among students and teachers across the region.
Science City in the Offing
The next major step in this journey is the proposed Science City, planned on nearly 5 acres on the DRSC premises. A key component of the project will be an Innovation Hub being established at Rs 1.8 crore in collaboration with the State Science and Technology Department.
According to DRSC director Veeranna Bolshetti, the facility will offer students and young innovators opportunities to design prototypes, conduct experiments, and gain hands-on exposure to disciplines ranging from basic sciences and engineering to automation, electronics, and computer science. The hub will include a Discovery Hall, Hall of Fame, Idea Lab, and a unique “Tod, Phod, Jod” section where students can dismantle and reassemble machine components to understand their functioning.
Another major attraction under the Science City project is a state-of-the-art 2D 4K digital planetarium. The state government has approved over Rs 12.6 crore for the facility, which will feature advanced projection systems, dome infrastructure, and immersive visual technology to simulate celestial phenomena.
With the Mathematics Park already attracting students from across north Karnataka and ambitious projects taking shape, the DRSC is steadily evolving into a regional centre of excellence where young minds can explore science through discovery, innovation, and imagination.
