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 students from 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 Scheme (Research, Education, Training and Outreach) 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.

Q1: What is the REACHOUT Scheme?

The Research, Education and Training Outreach (REACHOUT) scheme consists of R&D in Earth System Science (RDESS), International Training Centre for Operational Oceanography (ITCOocean), Program for Development of Skilled manpower in Earth System Sciences (DESK) This scheme is being implemented for the entire country and not State/UT-wise.

Source: India shines at the 17th International Earth Sciences Olympiad