The Indian student team has achieved remarkable success at the 17th International Earth Sciences Olympiad (IESO), held in Beijing, China, from August 8-16, 2024.
The four-member team, representing Gujarat, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan, secured an impressive tally of medals: three gold, two silver, and three bronze, across three categories—Theory and Practical, Earth System Project, and International Team Field Investigation.
The International Earth Science Olympiad, one of the flagship student programs under the Ministry of Earth Sciences’ REACHOUT (Research, Education, Training and Outreach) initiative, has been instrumental in promoting earth sciences among students.
Established in 2003 at the International Geoscience Education Organization Council Meeting in Calgary, Canada, IESO is an annual competition that brings together secondary school students from around the world. The competition emphasizes teamwork, collaboration, idea exchange, and raising awareness of earth sciences. “The overall goal is to ignite young minds’ interest in earth system sciences while promoting climate change awareness, addressing environmental challenges, and discussing solutions for natural disasters,” said Dr. Jagvir Singh, Scientist G & Adviser, MoES, who was an Observer at the 17th IESO.
India has been participating in IESO since 2007 and hosted the 10th edition in Mysore. This year’s competition saw teams from 35 countries, with 32 advancing to the finals, competing in four categories: Theory and Practical, Earth Science Project, International Team Field Investigation, and Data Mining.
To foster Indian student participation (grades 9 to 12), the Ministry of Earth Sciences supports the Indian National Earth Science Olympiad (INESO), conducted in schools nationwide. INESO serves as a national precursor to IESO, organized annually by the Geological Society of India in collaboration with MoES and select educational institutions. The topics covered include geology, meteorology, oceanography, and environmental sciences. Top performers at INESO are chosen to represent India at the IESO, with further backing from MoES.
The support for INESO and IESO comes under the Ministry’s REACHOUT scheme, aligned with the PRITHVI (PRITHvi Vigyan) initiative approved by the Union Cabinet in January 2024.
- PIB
