Lucknow, Nov 14 (IANS): Uttar Pradesh will now have the country's first museum dedicated to earth, named, The Indian Museum of Earth (TIME).

The museum will have exhibits from the world of palaeosciences, geology, tectonics and earth processes.

It will be a geo treasure of the country, will become a reality with the joint efforts of Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences (BSIP), ministry of earth sciences, ministry of mines, ministry of environment, forest and climate change, ministry of science and technology and the ministry of culture, said official sources.

BSIP director Vandana Prasad is spearheading the preparation of the detailed project report (DPR) for the museum, while BSIP senior scientist Mukund Sharma is also among the 11 scientists, academicians, journalists, and experts selected as members of the team assigned the task of DPR preparation.

Besides, BSIP will also be giving its rich palaeontological collection for the one of its kind museums.

BSIP director Vandana Prasad said: "The museum will showcase India's unique geological history and heritage and will promote cutting-edge research in palaeontology. It will also provide a national repository for precious rocks, meteorites, and fossil collections. BSIP will share its rarest of the rare, oldest and unique fossil collections with the TIME museum.

"Before giving the DPR responsibility to the team, several brainstorming sessions were held and thereafter a presentation on the establishment of TIME was made before the Prime Minister's Science and Technology Innovation Advisory Council (PMSTIAC)."

The museum will come up in PPP mode with participation of private sector, philanthropists, and state governments.

A rich collection of legendary palaeobotanist late Prof Birbal Sahni and others that includes million years old insect in fossil, earliest record of fossil banana from Maastrichtian Danian of Madhya Pradesh, earliest record of sweet potato from the country and others will also be a part of the museum.