The National Science and Technology Commission (NASTEC) was established by the Science and Technology Development Act No. 11 of 1994 and came into operation in August 1998. It was formally inaugurated on 06 December 1998 and became a functional commission in January 1999. The Young Scientists Forum (YSF) of Sri Lanka has been hosted by NASTEC since 2000, to provide an opportunity for young scientists in Sri Lanka to voice their opinions on science and technology related issues. YSF currently consists of more than 400 members representing different disciplines.

The Steering Committee (SC) of YSF, that consist of 13 members, came up with a novel idea of publishing a chapter E-book identifying gaps/deficiencies related to existing policies, areas to be improved, and further strengthened in relation to Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) in Sri Lanka. Given that the mandate of NASTEC is to advise the government in making policies on science and technology related aspects, SC firmly believed that this would be a golden opportunity for young scientists to raise their opinions and perspectives in a more critical, different and comprehensive manner.