Shravan*, a Class 5 student, proudly speaks of his achievements in Olympiad exams that he has been participating since Class 1. He has won gold medals in two of the Olympiads so far.
Shravan participates every year and will be appearing for Olympiads in science, maths, and English. “These exams help in better conceptual understanding of the subjects. Students can learn beyond what is there in the textbook, as they prepare for these exams,” adds Shravan’s mother. She also feels that Shravan is better able to solve tricky questions, and can think outside the box. Shravan believes the exams are not very challenging, but they need some preparation. He is now aiming for an “international rank”.
The Olympiads that Shravan participates in are organised by private organisations. There are at least eight major organisations that conduct these competitive examinations. Some of the private Olympiad examinations are aimed at students as young as three years old. Each of these exams is held at different levels such as classroom, zonal, international, etc. depending on the organisation. And students win medals, or medals and cash prizes at multiple stages of these exams.
Government Olympiads are 13 in number in science and mathematics and are part of larger International Olympiads supported by governments of various countries. Besides mathematics, these Olympiads have been introduced in 12 additional fields, including physics, chemistry, biology, and astrophysics. The most recent is the International Nuclear Science Olympiad organised by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Not many are aware of the differences between the two sets of Olympiads. Renu’s* daughter studies in Class 4, and appears regularly for Olympiad exams and has won a medal each at the zonal and international rounds. Renu feels that the awards in the form of medals boost the morale of students. “It has become a ritual for us. Just like our daughter goes to a new class every year, she also enrols for Olympiad exams”, adds Renu. In spite of her daughter’s achievements, including the international rank, she admits she does not have a clear picture of the significance of the various levels or the international stages.
Also read: For 35 years, Indian students have been acing the Olympiads
For the government-recognised International Olympiads, the scenario is completely different from the private competitive exams. Students aspiring for the International Olympiads start their journey by competing for the National Standard Examinations (NSEs) in various subjects such as astronomy, biology, chemistry, physics and junior science. For mathematics, an International Olympiad Qualifier in Mathematics (IOQM) marks the first step. All NSEs in India are conducted by the Indian Association of Physics Teachers (IAPT).
From Class 8
Prof. Rekha Ghorpade was previously a centre in-charge for NSEs and was preparing for the first announcement of National Standard Examinations. She was in for a surprise when teachers mentioned that students had already registered for the Olympiads. “I was wondering how students could register when the first notice was not even out!” She later found booklets and pamphlets with students that had the announcement of private competitive examinations that also carried the name Olympiads. “The National Standard Examination (NSE) is the only way anyone can reach the International Olympiads to represent India and compete on the global stage. No other exam in India can get anyone directly to the International Olympiads”.
Typically, students from their Class 8 onward appear for these examinations. The top performing students then appear for Indian National Olympiads (INOs) in the respective subjects. Around 40-50 select students make it to Orientation-cum-selection camps (OCSCs), which are month-long residential camps. Here, students interact with researchers and experts in the respective subjects, and the top 4-6 students (depending on the subject) represent India and compete on the global stage. India has achieved remarkable success since it began sending its teams to the International Olympiads.
“The IAPT awards all students who make it to the OCSCs. Each student gets a silver-plated gold medal, and the ones that represent India get several benefits if they happen to pursue a career in natural sciences. The Infosys Foundation also gives cash prizes to the medallists of International Olympiads,” said Prof. Ghorpade, who is now the general secretary of the IAPT.
* Names have been changed
(Rohini Karandikar is a science communicator, educator and facilitator. She has been a resource person for the Indian National Junior Science Olympiads (INJSO) in February 2020.)
Published – September 24, 2024 06:30 am IST
This post was originally published on here
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