The evaluation criteria of the NCSC are designed to judge how well a child’s project reflects scientific thinking, originality, and social relevance.

Core Evaluation Criteria

1. Originality of Idea and Concept
   • The project must be new, innovative, and not copied
   • It should arise from curiosity and aim to answer a clear question (hypothesis)
   • Evaluators may ask: How did you get this idea?
2. Relevance to Theme
   • The project must clearly connect to the annual focal theme/sub-theme
3. Scientific Understanding
   • Shows understanding of concepts, principles, and reasoning behind the project
4. Data Collection
   • Data must be collected systematically
   • Methods include surveys, interviews, and observations
   • Sample size should be adequate and meaningful
5. Analysis of Data
   • Data should be organized using tables and charts
   • Proper classification and interpretation is required
   • Basic statistics can be used
6. Experimentation / Validation
   • Includes experiments or field studies to test ideas
   • Can be simple, low-cost, and locally designed
7. Interpretation & Problem-Solving
   • Should answer the original question
   • Offer solutions to a local problem
8. Teamwork
   • Evaluates cooperation between team members
   • Division of work and collective effort
9. Background Correction (District Level Only)
   • Extra weightage for students from remote or disadvantaged areas
   • Includes limited resources or infrastructure
   • Focus on fairness and inclusivity
10. Report and Presentation
    • Written report with clarity, structure, and documentation
    • Oral presentation with communication and response to questions
    • Maintaining a logbook (daily diary) is compulsory