New Delhi, September 4: Indian school students registered their best-ever performance at the International Earth Science Olympiad (IESO), winning nine medals at the 19th edition of the competition held in Turin, Italy, officials said.
The Indian contingent secured four gold, three silver and two bronze medals at the international event, which was organised from August 20 to 27 and saw participation from 39 countries.
Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Earth Sciences Jitendra Singh felicitated the students at an event at Prithvi Bhavan in New Delhi on Friday and praised them for bringing recognition to the country.
Among the top performers was Soumik Mondal of DAV Model School, Durgapur, who won two gold and one silver medal. He also secured third position in the overall global ranking among participants from the 39 participating countries.
Aaron Maiti of DAV Model School, IIT Kharagpur won one gold and one bronze, while Riddhi Ranjan of Gyanasthali International School, Patna secured one gold and one silver. Mohammad Ehtesham Rizvi of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Bihar won one silver and one bronze medal.
The students competed in written and practical examinations, the International Team Field Investigation and the Earth Science Project categories.
The Ministry of Earth Sciences said the achievement followed a national-level selection and training programme. Around 17,800 students participated in an All-India examination conducted at nearly 500 centres, after which the top 25 candidates underwent a three-week intensive training camp at M.S.
University in Vadodara in June.Singh said the achievement reflected the importance of developing scientific curiosity and encouraging young students to explore Earth system sciences.The ministry has been supporting the Earth Science Olympiad as part of its outreach and awareness initiatives.
It also promotes scientific awareness through programmes including the Deep Ocean Mission, Mission Mausam and PRITHVI.Secretary of the Ministry of Earth Sciences T. Srinivasa Kumar also congratulated the students and mentors, describing the record medal haul as a significant achievement for India’s young scientific talent.
The ministry said such initiatives are aimed at strengthening public scientific awareness and encouraging the next generation to pursue education and research in Earth sciences.
