Ahmedabad boy in India team for Science Olympiad

A student of Ahmedabad has been selected among other proud participants to represent India in the International Earth Science Olympiad (IESO) to be held in Taipei, Taiwan from September 14 to 22. Sharad Chandrakant Mirani is one among four students who will for the first time represent India in the IESO. The other three students are from Pune, Jaipur and Mumbai.

The IESO is an annual competition for secondary school students, testing their abilities in disciplines such as geology, meteorology, environmental science and terrestrial astronomy.

The first such event as held in South Korea in October 2007 and the second, in Manila, Philippines. The third IESO, in Taipei, will be based on the theme ‘Human environment’.

“India is participating in the IESO programme for the first time and we are happy that one of our students is in the national team for its maiden performance. The Geological Society of India is coordinating the programme for the Indian students,” said Narottam Sahoo, senior scientist at the Gujarat Science City.

While felicitating Mirani, a class X student of Prakash High School, the Gujarat Science City said that it will provide him the pre-departure training and guidance for the IESO programme.

Meanwhile, the science city, which works under the aegis of the department of science and technology of the state government, recently concluded a three-day-long orientation programme in preparation for the National and International Science Olympiads in physics, chemistry, mathematics, biology and astronomy, for students of classes XI and XII.

Eminent professors including PK Saiprakas, professor of chemistry at Osmania University and president of the Indian Association of Chemistry Teachers; KN Joshipura, head of the physics department at SP University at Vallabh Vidyanagar; Dr Vishal Joshi of the Plasma Research Laboratory; and Dr Narottam Sahoo conducted various interactive sessions and demonstrations.

The sessions were specifically designed to enable to students to crack equations, brew concoctions and prove their skills in problem-solving, required for the Olympiads. The orientation programme also discussed the concept of the Olympiads, for which students below 15 years of age may enrol on or before September 15.