India’s student team has secured multiple prestigious medals at the 17th International Earth Sciences Olympiad (IESO) held in Beijing, China, from August 8-16, 2024. The four-member Indian team, comprising students from Gujarat, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan, achieved remarkable success by winning three gold medals, three bronze medals, and two silver medals across three competition categories: Theory and Practical, Earth System Project, and International Team Field Investigation.
Dr. Jitendra Singh extended his congratulations to the Indian team, applauding their outstanding achievement and their role in bringing this academic honor to the nation.
“The International Earth Science Olympiad stands out as one of the most successful student-centric initiatives under the REACHOUT (Research, Education, Training, and Outreach) scheme of the Ministry of Earth Sciences. We take great pride in our young earth science prodigies and their accomplishments,” said Dr. M. Ravichandran, Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).
Established in 2003 during the International Geoscience Education Organization Council Meeting in Calgary, Canada, the IESO is an annual competition for secondary school students worldwide. It aims to foster awareness of earth sciences through teamwork, collaboration, the exchange of ideas, and competition.
“The broader vision is to spark interest among the youth in various fields of earth system sciences, focusing on promoting awareness and solution-driven discussions around environmental challenges,” said Dr. Jagvir Singh, Scientist G & Adviser, MoES, who was an Observer at the 17th IESO.
India has been participating in the IESO since 2007 and had the honor of hosting the 10th edition in Mysore.
This year’s 17th IESO saw participation from 35 countries, with 32 advancing to the finals. The competitions were held across four categories: Theory and Practical, Earth Science Project, International Team Field Investigation, and Data Mining.
To encourage Indian students in grades 9 to 12 to participate, the MoES supports the Indian National Earth Science Olympiad (INESO), conducted annually in various schools across the country. The INESO serves as a national-level precursor to the IESO, facilitated by the Geological Society of India in collaboration with the MoES and select educational institutions. The assessment topics for students include geology, meteorology, oceanography, and environmental sciences. Top-performing participants in INESO have the opportunity to represent India at the IESO, an initiative also backed by the MoES.
The MoES supports both the INESO and IESO as part of the REACHOUT scheme under the PRITHVI (PRITHvi Vigyan) scheme, approved by the Union Cabinet in January 2024.