New Delhi : Union Minister for Earth Sciences Dr. Jitendra Singh honored India’s young medal-winning students from the 19th International Earth Science Olympiad (IESO) 2026 at a special appreciation event held at Prithvi Bhawan, Lodhi Road. Calling their achievement an extraordinary milestone, Dr. Singh expressed pride in the students, their parents, and their schools for bringing global recognition to the country. He interacted with the students and underscored the Ministry’s broader commitment to empowering young people through student-focused outreach, building scientific temperament from an early age, and encouraging curiosity about Earth System Science.
India’s best-ever Olympiad showing
The Indian delegation delivered its strongest performance yet at the 19th IESO, held under the International Geoscience Organisation in Turin, Italy, from August 20–27, 2026. Competing against 39 countries, Team India walked away with a historic nine medals — 4 Gold, 3 Silver, and 2 Bronze — spanning the Written and Practical exams, International Team Field Investigation (ITFI), and Earth Science Project (ESP) categories.
The standout medalists were:
- Soumik Mandal (DAV Model School, Durgapur, West Bengal) — 2 Gold, 1 Silver, and 3rd place in the overall global ranking among 39 countries
- Aaron Maiti (DAV Model School, IIT-KGP, West Bengal) — 1 Gold, 1 Bronze
- Riddhi Ranjan (Gyan Asthali International School, Patna, Bihar) — 1 Gold, 1 Silver
- Md Ehtesham Rizwi (JNV, Bihar) — 1 Silver, 1 Bronze
Dr. T. Srinivasa Kumar, Secretary of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, also joined in praising the students and their mentors, noting that this marks India’s highest-ever medal tally in the competition’s history.
A structured pipeline behind the success
The victory reflects a rigorous national selection process rather than a one-off achievement. Backed fully by the Ministry of Earth Sciences under its Outreach and Awareness programme, the Earth Science Olympiad journey begins with an all-India test conducted by the Geological Society of India, which this year saw roughly 17,800 students take part across 500 centers nationwide.
From that pool, the top 25 students were selected for an intensive three-week training camp held in June 2026 at M.S. University, Vadodara, Gujarat — part of a deliberate strategy, at the Union Minister’s direction, to rotate training camp locations across different regions of the country each year.
Alongside flagship initiatives like the IESO, the Ministry of Earth Sciences continues to drive major national missions such as the Deep Ocean Mission, Mission Mausam, and PRITHVI, all aimed at strengthening public scientific awareness and nurturing the next generation of geoscientists and researchers.