What launched
NITI Aayog introduced the India Science and Technology Scoreboard in New Delhi on 3 November. The platform brings together measures of research and innovation for states and union territories, including scientific publications, citations and patent applications. Its financial-year selector lets users examine different periods.
How to use it
Start with the question you want to answer and choose the relevant measure. Publication counts describe research output in the dataset. Citation measures speak to how that research is used by later work. Patent applications show filing activity. A patent application can be pending, rejected or ultimately granted, so the filing count answers a different question from a grant count.
Why the definitions matter
Raw totals reflect factors such as the number and size of institutions and which records are captured. A state with more filings may have a different mix of sectors from a state with fewer. Readers comparing places should use the same financial year and check the scoreboard’s methodology before drawing conclusions.