International Earth Sciences Olympiad

About International Earth Sciences Olympiad:

• It was established in 2003 at the International Geoscience Education Organization Council Meeting in Calgary, Canada.
• It is an annual competition for secondary school studentsfrom across the globe.
• It aims to generate awareness of earth sciences through teamwork, collaboration, exchanging ideas, and competition.
• The overall vision is to generate interest among the young in various fields of earth system sciences, with a focus on promoting awareness and solution-centric discussions around environmental challenges.
• It is one of the most successful student-centric programs facilitated under the REACHOUT (Research, Education, Training and Outreach) scheme of the Ministry of Earth Sciences. 
• India has participated in the IESO since 2007 and hosted its 10th edition in Mysore.
• India’s Initiative
  • To encourage the participation of Indian students (of grades 9 to 12), the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) supports the Indian National Earth Science Olympiad (INESO) held in various schools across India.
  • The INESO is a national-level prelude to the IESO, organised annually by the Geological Society of India in collaboration with MoES and select educational bodies in the country.
  • The topics for assessment for students include geology, meteorology, oceanography, and environmental sciences.
  • Top-performing participants from INESO get to represent India at the IESO, which also receives support from the MoES.
  • The MoES supports the INESO and IESO as part of the REACHOUT scheme under the PRITHVI (PRITHvi Vigyan) scheme approved by the Union Cabinet in January 2024.
  • The scheme's goal is to improve understanding of Earth system sciences through research and development activities and to provide reliable services to the country.