Cast a Glance Over Your Shoulder. (May 1, 2009)

Data compiled by the ScienceWatch tracking service (www.sciencewatch.com) show that the number of papers produced by Indian scientists had pretty well flat lined between 1985 and 2000 but rose sharply beginning in 2001 rising from 17,000 in 2001 to 27,000 in 2007. Furthermore, Science reports that: "Citation rates are also rising across the board—more than doubling, for example, in biology and biochemistry [and notably] the biggest gains have come in the physical sciences, especially materials science."

Nobuko Miyairi a consultant for the publishers of ScinceWatch makes the point that not only is Indian science "fairly well balanced between life sciences and physical sciences," [most of the rest of Asia] tends to be more heavily focused on ... physical sciences."