Behind the Scenes with Dr Saroj Ghose: A Mentor’s Influence on My Career
Dr Jayanta
Sthanapati
Former DDG,
National Council of Science Museums
Abstract
In this personal
memoir, the author reflects on Dr Saroj Ghose's transformative mentorship and
administrative influence at the National Council of Science Museums (NCSM). The
narrative traces the author’s career—from his recruitment in 1978 to leading major
museum developments. It candidly addresses the challenges arising from his
pursuit of independent research in the history of science, set against Ghose's
behind-the-scenes advocacy for his advancement. The memoir highlights Ghose's
visionary leadership and his lasting impact on India's scientific heritage.
Key Words: Saroj Ghose, National Council of Science
Museums (NCSM), Birla Industrial and Technological Museum (BITM), Science
Museums, Jayanta Sthanapati, History of Science, Mentorship, Leadership.
Dr Saroj Ghose (1935-2025) played a vital role in establishing and managing science museums in India through the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) from 1958 to 1978, and later with the National Council of Science Museums (NCSM) from 1978 to 1997. Additionally, his work in creating history museums from 2000 to 2012 demonstrated his dedication to enriching India's cultural landscape. We had the privilege of documenting his remarkable life and contributions for the first time in 2020, on his 85th birthday, which the NCSM published as a testament to his enduring legacy.[1] We have not included those details in this memoir to avoid repetition and monotony. To truly capture Dr Ghose's leadership qualities, the current author, who had the privilege of working with him from 1978 to 1997, shares several poignant incidents that marked his journey at NCSM, with its ups and downs. These memories not only reflect the exceptional dedication Dr Saroj Ghose demonstrated as an administrator but also highlight his deep commitment to the NCSM community.
Reflecting on a lifetime of
achievements, Dr Saroj Ghose at NCSM on his 85th birthday (2020).
Since 1975, the Birla Industrial and
Technological Museum (BITM) in Kolkata has hosted the Eastern India Science
Camp (EISC). This event allows school students and science club members to
present scientific models and exhibits. In EISC 1977, I participated at BITM as
a member of a science club. At that time, I was a research fellow at the Indian
Association for the Cultivation of Science (IASC). During EISC, I exhibited my
"Rhythm Synthesiser," a programmable electronic musical instrument.
It was recognised as an ‘Outstanding Exhibit of the Year,’ and I
received the India Carbon Charitable Trust Award of Rs 1,200, four times my
monthly research stipend. Dr Saroj Ghose, then senior curator and head of
BITM, noticed my work and offered encouragement. In our conversation, I
mentioned my interest in science museums, and he kindly advised me to watch for
their advertisements, as they would soon be recruiting a physics curator. I
believe that interaction contributed to my appointment as Curator B in BITM in
1978. I was twenty-seven.
In 1979, Dr Ghose was appointed as
the Director of NCSM. That same year, UNESCO declared 1979 the International
Year of the Child. Dr Ghose asked me to develop a set of participatory exhibits
for children. I created 16 tabletop exhibits for display at the BITM as the
museum's contribution to the International Year of the Child. My seniors at
NCSM appreciated my work as a new curator.
In mid-1981, I came across a page
from Michael Faraday's diary, dated August 31, 1831, which documented his
discovery of electromagnetic induction. Excited by this find, I rushed to Dr
Ghose and expressed my desire to create a set of exhibits to commemorate the
150th anniversary of this event, scheduled for August 31, 1981, at the BITM. He
approved my proposal, and we discussed in detail what to include in a
travelling exhibition. Shri Samar Bagchi, the head of BITM, also provided
significant guidance. The result was a travelling exhibition titled
"Michael Faraday and the Dawn of the Electrical Age."
In 1982, I was transferred from BITM
to NCSM, where I was directly reporting to Dr Saroj Ghose. Two of my senior
curators were also part of the team. In early 1983, Dr Ghose gave me a copy of
the book "Letters from a Father to His Daughter," a collection of
letters Jawaharlal Nehru wrote to his ten-year-old daughter, Indira, in 1928.
He asked me to create a travelling exhibition on "Evolution," mainly
based on Nehru's 30 letters. While he was abroad for a few weeks, I served as
project coordinator and developed the exhibition in one month. Upon his return,
Dr Ghose reviewed the exhibition, approved it, and decided to showcase it at
the Trade Fair in Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, in November 1983. During the
exhibition, Smt. Indira Gandhi, the Prime Minister of India, paid a visit.
As Curator B, I managed three important projects - the Children's Exhibits, the Faraday Exhibition, and the Evolution Exhibition - which resulted in a scheduled promotion to Curator C by the NCSM in 1983. I then earned a PhD (Science) in Physics from the University of Calcutta based on my research in solid-state physics at the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science.
As Curator C, my first assignment in 1984 was to set up the “Atom” Gallery at BITM. In 1985, despite the presence of other senior curators, Dr Ghose appointed me as the general coordinator for developing the “India: A Festival of Science” exhibition for the USA, which was a significant milestone in my career. In September 1986, I took the role of project coordinator for establishing a Regional Science Centre in Bhubaneswar, which was completed and inaugurated in September 1989. Following this, I was promoted to Curator D. My career at NCSM was progressing positively.
In mid-1986, while returning to India
after my assignment with the "India: A Festival of Science"
exhibition in the USA, I had the opportunity to meet Dr Paul Forman, the
Curator of Physics at the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian
Institution, USA and Dr D.M.S. Baguley, a Professor of Physics of the Clarendon
Laboratory at the University of Oxford, England. Discussing my research ideas
with them helped establish a solid foundation for my future studies in the
history of science. While in Bhubaneswar working on the RSC project, I began to
lay the groundwork for a study of my chosen subject in the history of science.
After the opening of RSC Bhubaneswar,
I applied for two years of Study Leave with full pay to conduct the research in
the history of science. Dr Ghose instead offered me a position as the project
coordinator for the proposed "Hall of Science, Technology, and Energy
(HOSTE)" in New Delhi, as the NCSM was looking to establish more science
centres across the country at that time. But I declined the offer because I
wanted to focus on my research. He then cautioned that “Those who work with
the organisation will move forward, while those who step away will remain
behind." However, he granted me Extraordinary Leave (EOL) without pay
for 24 months. I accepted that without knowing how I would survive.
Anyway, my research project, with some significant changes,
was accepted by the Indian National Science Academy (INSA) in late 1989, and
they sanctioned a two-year Research Associate position to work under Prof.
Samarendra Nath Sen, the doyen of history of science studies in India. I
completed the work, and INSA published it as a supplement in their Indian
Journal of History of Science and as a book. However, I received no credit for
this work from NCSM, and my bad days truly began after I returned to the
Curator's service in 1991.
I got the first blow within a year.
In 1992, the Director’s position at the Visvesvaraya Industrial and
Technological Museum (VITM) became vacant when Shri G. Nagarajan applied for
voluntary retirement. As the senior-most curator at the NCSM, I was next in
line for a potential promotion, as traditionally the senior-most curator is
appointed as the director of an NCSM unit. However, this time an interview was
conducted, and unfortunately, I did not pass. The curator next in seniority was
appointed as the Director of VITM. I continued at RSC Bhubaneswar as a Curator
until 1995, then transferred to the National Science Centre, Delhi, to serve
under Shri P.K. Bhaumik, Director.
Dr Saroj Ghose retired as the
Director General of the NCSM in August 1997, and Shri Ingit K. Mukherjee
succeeded him as the new DG. Eventually, I became the Director of NCSM
Headquarters in 1998. Over the years, I progressed through several positions,
including Curator E, F, and G, and served as Director of BITM from 2004 to
2008, then as Deputy Director General until 2011. It is important to note that
Shri I. K. Mukherjee, as DG of NCSM, entrusted me with responsibilities,
provided adequate support and rewards, and brought out the best in my
abilities. He truly gave me a new life within NCSM.
After retiring from NCSM, I focused on writing a thesis titled “The Impact of the Second World War on the Studies of Magnetic Resonance (1939-1973).” In December 2013, I was awarded a PhD (Arts) in History from Jadavpur University for my thesis. In response to this achievement, Dr Saroj Ghose wrote to me, saying, “This is indeed good news. Spend your valuable time after retirement on research and meaningful studies.”
In early 2014, I learned of a Government of India decision stating that a retired employee with no disciplinary or court proceedings pending at the time of retirement could request that the employer return their entire Confidential Report dossier after two years of retirement.[2] As a result, I received my Confidential Report folder from NCSM, and it was no longer classified. Inside, I found an original signed letter from Dr Saroj Ghose to Shri Ingit Mukherjee, dated August 31, 1997, the day Dr Ghose transferred the Director General’s responsibilities to Shri Mukherjee. The letter revealed Dr Ghose’s concern for progress and future within the NCSM. I was overwhelmed and moved by his affection for me. The letter reads: [3]
Dear Shri
Mukherjee,
“On the eve
of my laying down the office of Director General, NCSM, I feel it necessary to
bring to your notice the potential of some intelligent, hardworking curators,
who, if properly utilised, could be an asset to this council. One of them is Dr
J Sthanapati, who is presently working in National Science Centre, Delhi.
Dr Sthanapati
worked with me directly for setting up of a Regional Science Centre in
Bhubaneswar right from the scratch. Subsequently, he worked virtually with
independent responsibilities for setting up the Science Centre in Dhenkanal and
the Science Park in Kapilas. His latest work is the Children’s Science Park in
Timarpur, Delhi for which he was given less than two months time to complete
the project before the National Science Day on 28th February 1997. While
working in all these projects, Dr Sthanapati demonstrated high sense of
responsibility and creative ability that convinced me that he has a very high
potential to grow as a responsible director in NCSM.
I am aware of
the fact that Dr Sthanapati has suffered a bit because of the deferment of his
assessment by a period when he went for a long leave, some 7 or 8 years ago. He
has, however, compensated more than enough through his untiring work in
Dhenkanal, Kapilas and Timarpur for which he deserves full credit and
appreciation. You may like to assign responsibilities to Dr Sthanapati to
assess his qualities, and I am sure he will prove his worth”.
With kind regards,
Yours sincerely,
Saroj Ghose (Signed).
I last met Dr Saroj Ghose on May 2, 2019, at BITM during the Museum's Diamond Jubilee Celebration. Others present included Shri Samar Bagchi, Shri Ingit Mukherjee, Dr Tapan Ganguly, and Shri Samaresh Goswamy. Subsequently, I contacted Dr Ghose by email whenever I published articles on the history of science museums. My last email to him was on March 21, 2025, and included an article on the 150-year-old Poona Industrial Museum, co-authored by me and Shri Nandakumar Kasar.[4] He responded the same day, stating, “Thank you very much. I shall be delighted to read it. Nice to hear about Kasar's activities. Please convey my good wishes to him. I am now running 90. Of late, I have undergone surgery for the replacement of a broken hip joint. Now I am keeping well and have resumed my regular morning walk without any support. Wish you the best. Keep well.”
We all know that Dr Saroj Ghose
passed away on May 17, 2025, leaving behind thousands of followers who had the
chance to know him for a few days or several years. I was one of
them.
[1] Jayanta Sthanapati and Gautam Seal. “Saroj Ghose and
Museums of Science, Technology and History in India”, an NCSM publication
(2020), pp. 1-16. [https://www.researchgate.net/
publication/347237106_Saroj_Ghose_and_ Museums_of_Science_Technology_and_History_in_India].
[2] Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT), Office Memorandum No. 21011/1/2005–Estt. (A) (Part III) dated April 2, 2012.
[3] Letter From Dr Saroj Ghose to Shri I.K. Mukherjee, No. I-14011/2 dated August 31, 1997.
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