[3] It is the largest chain of science centers/museums under a single administrative umbrella in the world.

The NCSM has been built to co-ordinate all informal science communication activities in the museum space in the country.

The task force recommended to set up science museums in different parts of the country at national, state and district levels and also recommended formation of a central coordinating agency.

In 1978, it was decided by the Government of India to delink from CSIR the two science museums already operating at Kolkata and Bangalore and also the one being set up at Mumbai and put them under a newly formed society registered on 4 April 1978, as National Council of Science Museums (NCSM).

[4] The following are the list of science centres/museums developed by NCSM for various state governments and union territories across India.