New Delhi: The Indian student team has achieved remarkable success at the 17th edition of the International Earth Sciences Olympiad (IESO), held in Beijing, China, from 8 to 16 August 2024. The four-member Indian team, comprising students from Gujarat, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan, secured an impressive tally of medals, including three golds, two silvers, and three bronzes across three competition categories: Theory and Practical, Earth System Project, and International Team Field Investigation.

Jitendra Singh, Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Earth Sciences and Ministry of Science and Technology, congratulated the Indian team and expressed appreciation for their outstanding achievement, bringing this coveted academic honour to the country.

“The International Earth Science Olympiad is one of the most successful student-centric programmes facilitated under the REACHOUT (Research, Education, Training and Outreach) scheme of the Ministry of Earth Sciences. We are proud of our young earth science wizards and achievers,” said M Ravichandran, Secretary to the Government of India, Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), in his congratulatory message to the winners.

The IESO, established in 2003 at the International Geoscience Education Organization Council Meeting in Calgary, Canada, is an annual competition for secondary school students from across the globe. It aims to raise awareness of earth sciences through teamwork, collaboration, exchange of ideas, and competition. “The overall vision is to inspire young minds in various fields of earth system sciences, with a focus on promoting awareness and solution-centric discussions around environmental challenges,” said Jagvir Singh, Scientist G & Adviser, MoES, who was one of the Observers at the 17th IESO.

India has participated in the IESO since 2007 and hosted its 10th edition in Mysore. This year, the 17th IESO saw participation from teams representing 35 countries, with 32 making it 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 from grades 9 to 12 to participate, the Ministry of Earth Sciences supports the Indian National Earth Science Olympiad (INESO), held in various schools across the country. The INESO serves as a national-level prelude to the IESO and is facilitated annually by the Geological Society of India, in collaboration with the MoES and select educational bodies. The assessment topics for students include geology, meteorology, oceanography, and environmental sciences. Top performers from the INESO are selected to represent India at the IESO, with support from the MoES.

The Ministry of Earth Sciences backs the INESO and IESO as part of the REACHOUT initiative under the PRITHVI (PRITHvi Vigyan) scheme, which was approved by the Union Cabinet in January 2024. The goal of the scheme is to enhance understanding of Earth system sciences through research and development activities and to provide reliable services to the country. /BI