Why does India still not have a natural history museum?
“Natural history museums do more than showcase fossils and stuffed animals. They are vital research institutions that drive conservation, education, and discovery. Around the world, these museums serve as archives of life itself, preserving biological and fossil specimens that help scientists track the effects of climate change, species extinction, and evolutionary history.
Yet, despite being home to nearly 10% of the world’s species and several biodiversity hotspots, India does not have a national natural history museum (NHM). The absence of such an institution is a fundamental gap in the country’s scientific infrastructure.
Without such a museum, countless fossils and biological specimens are lost, destroyed, or smuggled out of the country. More importantly, India’s vast and unique natural history, stretching back millions of years before humans walked the Earth, remains largely invisible to its own people.” A comment in Nature India