2 weeks ago
Nehru Museum mulls fee hike, new courses after fire-safety crisis
The Nehru Children's Museum is a place where children take classes like painting, recitation, and dance.
Not long ago, the fire department said the museum needed to become safer.
The museum did not have enough money for the safety upgrades, which cost 50 lakh rupees.
So it closed down and moved classes online to keep around 900 children safe.
The people running the museum met with a government adviser and were promised help.
Now they want children to come back to the ground floor to finish the current semester.
Because some parents may not agree, online classes will continue at the same time.
To earn more money, the museum wants to charge higher fees for its classes.
It also wants to add new courses like robotics and digital painting.
The teachers were told about these plans, and the museum wants to keep them involved.
Administrators of Nehru Children's Museum met 25 staff members on Wednesday to propose raising course fees and introducing new courses.
The museum shut down after the fire department advised it to upgrade fire-safety measures it could not afford.
Around 900 children's classes were shifted online for safety during the shutdown.
The museum was assured of government help after meeting special adviser to the chief minister Subrata Gupta.
New courses such as robotics and digital painting are planned; current fees range from ₹3,500 to ₹4,500 for 21 classes.
- Who
- Indrani Sengupta, secretary of Nehru Children's Museum, its 25 staff members, and special adviser to the chief minister Subrata Gupta.
- What
- The museum proposed raising course fees and adding new courses following a fire-safety crisis that forced it to shut down.
- Where
- Nehru Children's Museum.
- When
- Announced at a staff meeting on Wednesday evening.
- Why
- The museum could not afford the ₹50-lakh fire-safety upgrade and needs funds to overhaul its operations.
Key facts
- Institution
- Nehru Children's Museum
- Current course fees
- ₹3,500–₹4,500 for 21 classes
- Fire-safety upgrade cost
- ₹50 lakh, which the museum could not afford
- Children affected
- Around 900, with classes shifted online
- Staff at meeting
- 25 members, including painting, recitation and dance faculty
- Planned new courses
- Robotics and digital painting
- Government assistance
- Help assured after meeting special adviser to the chief minister, Subrata Gupta
- Reason for shutdown
- Advice from the fire department to upgrade safety measures
Quotes
Indrani Sengupta
Secretary of Nehru Children’s Museum
“On Wednesday, we told our faculty members that they could ask the children to come back and use the ground floor for conducting the classes and finish the current semester. But all parents might not agree to send their children for in‑person classes, and so there have to be simultaneous online classes as well.”
telegraphindia.com
“We have to raise the fees of the courses and introduce new ones like robotics and digital painting that would appeal to the current generation of children.”
telegraphindia.com








