Page 46 - BE Book PESD 2021 22

Each year general visitors, experts and Nobel laureates, dignitaries from all over the world
visit the museum.
11.2 National Status:

This is a unique museum with numerous holotypes and paratypes of Gondwana vertebrates
of India. There is no other museum in India, where so many holotypes of Mesozoic non-
marine vertebrates are preserved. Researchers from all parts of India visit the Museum. Last
year, an outreach programme on the fossils of Bengal with national and international experts
has been conducted.

11.3 Novelty of the present proposal:
Researchers from all spheres of life, school children dignitaries and ISI guests are regularly
visiting the museum. Hence, maintenance of the Museum is important.
12. Importance of the proposed project in the context of current status:
The Museum of the Geological Studies Unit has nearly 60 new taxa of fossil vertebrates
ranging from Permian (~255 My) to Cretaceous (65 My) period. Over the years, the holotype
and paratype specimens present in the Geology Museum have attracted many national and
international experts. Upkeep and maintenance of the Museum is essential for the benefit of
studies on palaeontology, evolutionary biology and historical geology in India and abroad.

13. Review of the expertise available with the group/institute in the subject of the
project:

Prof. Dhurjati P. Sengupta, Prof. Saswati Bandyopadhyay and Dr. Shiladri Das have visited
many museums of Natural History in India and abroad. They have been taking care of the
Geology Museum for the last few decades.
14. Work Plan:

N. A.
14.1. Methodology:
Usual ways of wet and mechanical fossil preparation, maintenance and upkeep of the
Museum.
14.2 Organization of work element and time schedule of activities giving milestones:

14.2.1. I Year:
To complete the cataloguing and record keeping, fossil preparation and upkeep. General
upkeep of the museum will be done through regular cleaning, maintaining the fossils, pest
control etc. Upkeep of the electric lamps, spotlights, air conditioners will also be done.
14.2.2. II Year:
Not applicable

14.2.3. III Year:
Not applicable
15. Utilization of research results:

Geology Museum is one of the important natural history museums of India. Maintenance of
the Museum will help researchers from all spheres of lives.

16. Budget Estimates: Summary

<< 40