The Indian National Science Academy (INSA) has been deeply concerned with the state of science education in the country. The Academy is convinced of the critical importance of sound science education at the primary and secondary levels in producing adequate numbers of appropriately trained and motivated scientific and technological manpower, and also being aware that the present system of school education falls woefully short in meeting this objective.

The science education programme had its genesis in the idea that INSA should be directly involved in the shaping of Science Education in India. The Academy has made several attempts in the past to address upcoming issues of the great relevance to the science education system in India.

INSA is actively associated with International Initiatives being taken in this direction. A worldwide programme through Inter Academy Panel (IAP) has been initiated to promote and popularize science education in different regions of the world. The basic objective of IAP is to take the message of science to primary school children and adult illiterates as a global initiative. The idea is not to come out with curricula alone, but to discuss the problems facing countries in the different regions of the world and decide on the core message of science that has to reach the children as well as the adult illiterates. Involving the different regions of the world is important to take cultural factors into account.