CBSE Experience Centre with 21 exhibits opens in Delhi

NEW DELHI: Union education minister Pralhad Joshi inaugurated the CBSE Experience Centre, which has 21 exhibits across 12 zones, at the CBSE Integrated Complex in Dwarka, Delhi, on Tuesday. Set up at CBSE headquarters, the centre is meant to take students beyond textbooks, according to a PIB press note.

Joshi called for a move away from rote learning and an excessive focus on exam scores, towards a system that recognises each student’s interests, abilities and learning capacities. He said the centre reflected the objectives of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which stresses experiential and holistic learning.

On the larger purpose of the initiative, Union education minister Pralhad Joshi said, “Fostering curiosity, creativity and confidence among students is essential to realise the vision of a developed India by 2047.”

The minister said students should not merely study scientific concepts but also observe, experiment and understand them through hands-on experience. Referring to Atal Tinkering Labs, he said 10,000 were already operational across the country and the Union govt had decided to establish 50,000 more. He also referred to the recently launched Seva First Innovation Challenge, saying opportunities for practical experimentation could help nurture the next generation of innovators.

Joshi added that students must be prepared for the evolving demands of the global workforce. He expressed confidence that the centre would make school education more engaging, practical and student-centred.

The centre spans 6,000 square feet, and visitors use RFID-enabled smart cards to interact with exhibits, take part in activities and access personalised takeaways and game-based leaderboards.

The experience opens with ‘Shiksha Ki Kahani’, a film narrated in a voice personifying river Saraswati. It traces the evolution of education in India from the gurukul system and centres like Nalanda to modern schools and digital classrooms. A separate section tracks the rise of CBSE through historical photographs and archival material, including records from 1935.

For career exploration, exhibits such as ‘Career Explorer’, ‘Future of Professions’ and ‘Magic Mirror: Future You’ let visitors look at career options and understand changes in the nature of work. Holographic interactions feature B R Ambedkar and A P J Abdul Kalam. A kiosk on ‘Exam Warriors’, the book by PM Narendra Modi, encourages a healthier approach to exams.

The final experience, ‘Eduverse’, combines motion-based interaction and multisensory elements to take visitors across forests, oceans, the Himalayas, the Moon and other planets.