The Indian 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 team, comprising students from Gujarat, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan, brought home three gold, three bronze, and two silver medals across three competition categories: Theory and Practical, Earth System Project, and International Team Field Investigation.
Dr. Jitendra Singh, Hon’ble Minister of State (Independent Charge) for the Ministry of Earth Sciences and Ministry of Science and Technology, expressed his admiration for the team’s achievement and congratulated them on bringing such a significant academic honor to the nation.
“The International Earth Science Olympiad is among the most impactful student-focused initiatives supported under the REACHOUT (Research, Education, Training, and Outreach) scheme by the Ministry of Earth Sciences. We take immense pride in our young earth science talents and achievers,” said Dr. M. Ravichandran, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), while extending his congratulations to the winners.
The Indian student team at the 17th IESO in China (left) and Indian officials, including Dr. Jagvir Singh (third from left), Scientist G & Adviser, Ministry of Earth Sciences, with the event jury.
The IESO, launched in 2003 during the International Geoscience Education Organization Council Meeting in Calgary, Canada, is an annual global competition for secondary school students. Its goal is to foster interest in earth sciences through teamwork, collaboration, knowledge exchange, and competition. “The overarching aim is to engage young minds in various aspects of earth system sciences while promoting awareness and solutions to climate change, environmental challenges, and natural disasters,” said Dr. Jagvir Singh, who served as one of the Observers at the 17th IESO.
India has been participating in IESO since 2007 and even hosted its 10th edition in Mysore. This year’s competition saw participation from 35 countries, with 32 advancing to the finals. The contests were held in four categories: Theory and Practical, Earth Science Project, International Team Field Investigation, and Data Mining.
To promote Indian students’ involvement (grades 9 to 12), the Ministry of Earth Sciences backs the Indian National Earth Science Olympiad (INESO), organized in schools across the country. INESO serves as a national-level precursor to the IESO, facilitated annually by the Geological Society of India in collaboration with MoES and selected educational bodies. Assessment topics include geology, meteorology, oceanography, and environmental sciences. Top-performing students from INESO earn the chance to represent India at IESO, with support from MoES.
The Ministry supports INESO and IESO under the REACHOUT scheme, part of the PRITHVI (PRITHvi Vigyan) initiative, which was approved by the Union Cabinet in January 2024. The initiative aims to enhance understanding of Earth system sciences through research and development and to deliver reliable services to the nation.
