New Delhi, Sep 4: Union minister Dr Jitendra Singh on Friday felicitated the winners of the 19th International Earth Science Olympiad (IESO) 2026 and said the government remains committed to empowering the youth through student-centric outreach programmes.
Held from August 20 to 27 in Italy, the competition witnessed the participation of 39 countries. India secured a historic haul of nine medals — comprising four gold, three silver, and two bronze medals — across different categories.
During the meeting, Singh highlighted that the government remains deeply committed to empowering the youth through student-centric outreach programmes and fostering foundational scientific temperament, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
A rigorous national selection and training pipeline preceded participation in the prestigious olympiad, the ministry said.
Under the ministry's outreach and awareness programme, the national-level Earth Science Olympiad began with an all-India test, which saw approximately 17,800 students appear across 500 centres.
"The top 25 meritorious students underwent an intensive three-week training camp in June 2026 at M S University, Vadodara, Gujarat, conducted as desired by the Union Minister to rotate camp locations across different regions of the country," the statement said.
