Sources & Methodology

Data contract

Every publishable record on this site must satisfy all of the following. The Zod schema in src/content.config.tsenforces this at build time — the build fails if any field is missing.

1. Value or explicit pending state. No number is invented. If no source has been supplied, the record carries verified: falseand renders a "Figure pending verification" badge.
2. Unit. What the number measures — km, crore accounts, ₹ lakh crore, etc.
3. asOf date. The date the figure was reported, not the date we added it. Large national figures change constantly; the date is non-negotiable.
4. sourceName. The official body or report — e.g. "Ministry of Road Transport & Highways / PIB."
5. sourceUrl. A direct link to the official release, press note, or data portal.
6. verified: true. Set by a contributor who has personally checked the figure against its sourceUrl.

How to verify any figure

1. Click the "Source ↗" link on any indicator — it goes directly to the government press release, PIB note, or data portal.
2. Note the asOf date. That's the date the source reported the figure — not today's value.
3. If you find an error, file an issue on theGitHub repositorywith the correct figure and an alternative source link.

Editorial stance

This is advocacy grounded in verifiable data. It makes the affirmative case for India's development record from 2014. We also openly document shortfalls, missed targets, CAG audit findings, and cases where credit is shared — with state governments, with earlier programmes, or with institutions like Aadhaar that predate the current government.

The context field on every record is not optional — it's structural. "Shortfalls toggle" is on by default; we don't make honesty opt-in.

We are not affiliated with any government body or political organisation.

How to add data

Bharat Scorecard is open source. To add a new record:

1. Copy an existing JSON file from src/content/indicators/(or the relevant collection folder).
2. Fill in all required fields: id,title,unit,baseline,latest (with asOf),sourceName,sourceUrl.
3. Set verified: true only after you have personally verified the figure against the sourceUrl. If unsure, set verified: false — it will render as "pending verification," not as fact.
4. Fill in the context field for caveats, shared credit, or shortfalls.
5. Run npm run build. The build will fail with a clear error if any required field is missing.

Adding a new record never requires touching a component — only one data file changes.