Three Indian high school students who won four silver medals in the 10th International Earth Science Olympiad, MIE Japan, called on the Minister for Earth Sciences, Dr. Harsh Vardhan, in New Delhi today.

International Earth Science Olympiad (IESO) is an annual earth science competition for secondary school students and is conducted each year in a different country. It is an outreach programme and one of the main activities of the International Geoscience Educational Organization (IGEO), affiliated to the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS). This programme is aimed at training young minds and fostering earth science education for peace and harmony.

The IESO’s mission is also to raise awareness and interest in Earth Sciences amongst school children as well as general public to improve Earth Science learning of students and to single out talented and gifted students in Earth Science. This event gives an opportunity to students to make International friends promoting International co-operation, exchange of ideas and materials about Earth Sciences. This international event acts as a bridge of friendship amongst the young talented students of the participating countries and is looked forward to participation eagerly every year.

Students who are winners of the respective National Competitions are invited to participate in the IESO. There is a written and practical tests and the performances in these tests are awarded gold, silver and bronze medals. Team activities like International Team Field Investigation (ITFI) and Earth System Project (ESP) are unique to IESO programme in addition to the written and practical tests. The motive behind these activities is co-operation, coming together and working in a team with students from different nationalities, diverse cultures and backgrounds and the main objectives are:

i)     building ambassadors responsible for leading our Society towards respecting the Earth and its environment to spread scientific knowledge to tackle problems such as global warming and climate change;

ii)    to create and introduce practical methods of reducing greenhouse gas emissions that can be applied in the present and the future;

iii)   to develop renewable energy sources and encourage high resolution research and investment for eco-friendly technologies. And its ultimate goal is to convert the thoughts into action by educating the citizens of our planet in the conservation of the environment.

With this background; the Geological Society of India, Bangalore, which also shares similar objectives and as a part of its outreach programme towards popularizing Earth Sciences amongst school students, conducts every year the Indian National Earth Science Olympiad with the support of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, GOI. For this purpose, the selection of the Indian team takes place in two important steps. First an entrance test is conducted in centers for the school students studying in the 9^th, 10, 11 and 12^th standard. This year a total of nearly 3700 students appeared in the test in 70 centers. Twenty-one students were short listed to undergo summer training at Anna University, Chennai from 13^th to 30^th May 2016. An intensive training by the faculty members invited from Academia, Universities, Research institutions and Government organizations were imparted. At the end of the training programme, Indian National Earth Science Olympiad was conducted, both written and practical tests. Four students were selected on the basis of the merit out of the 20 students. It may be noted that for this purpose, selections and preparations starts a year ahead in November/ December and ends around July/August the next year. However, the selection for the IESO India team starts from the month of March and concludes in the month of August just before the International event.

A pre-departure refresher training programme was organized by Anna University from 13^th August to 18^th August 2016 for the four selected students representing the India team. The programme included theory, laboratory techniques and field training. This year the 10^th International Earth Science Olympiad (10^th IESO) was held from 21^th to 27^th August 2016 at Mie, Japan. The theme logo of IESO-2016, Japan was “Our Future: Earth and Space”.  This year 26 countries with four students from each country participated in this event (a total of 201 students) barring Malawi (one student only). The Indian team was represented by four students: Aditya pal, (Kolkata), Amarjeet Pandde (Mumbai), Guhan Narayanan (Bangalore) and Divyansh Joshi (Udaipur). Dr. K.Godhavari (Secretary, Geological Society of India, Observer) and Dr. Hema Achyuthan (National Coordinator, Mentor) led the Indian team.

This year a total of 10 gold, 20 silver and 30 bronze medals were distributed to the students; ranked based on the performance in the written and practical tests. Theory marks comprised 70%, while practical marks were 30%. Aditya Pal, Kolkata, Amarjeet Pandde (Mumbai) and Guhan Narayanan (Bangalore) were awarded silver medals. Guhan Narayanan won another silver medal for India in the team event. Under the guidance and stewardship of Dr. Godhavari (observer) and Prof. Hema Achyuthan (National coordinator and mentor) the students performed very well and made India, MoES, and the GSI feel proud of this feat.

India expressed readiness to enhance cooperation on Arctic science and research. This was conveyed to the first ever White House Arctic Science Ministerial meeting in Washington DC where the Minister of Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Dr. Harsh Vardhan signed a statement for the purpose.  The minister emphasized the significance of environment and climate change in the Arctic region and its impact on Indian Monsoon.

During his visit from last Wednesday to Sunday, Dr. Harsh Vardhan co-chaired bilateral India-US S&T Joint Commission Meeting along with Dr. John Holdren, Assistant to the President for Science & Technology and reviewed the progress under five Joint Working Groups for S&T cooperation between two countries. The Commission agreed to add new areas of S&T collaboration like agriculture science, ocean wave modelling and advance manufacturing. Techno-entrepreneurship and innovation will be the centre piece of future collaboration. 

He visited the Lockheed Martin Global Vision Center (GVC), a centre for research and innovation, and had meetings with Mr. Rodney A. Makoske, Senior Vice President and exchanged Letters to extend the India Innovation Growth Program (IIGP) involving DST, Lockheed Martin and TATA Trusts. The IIGP 2.0 will support "Make in India" and "Start-up India" initiatives with focus on social and technological innovations. 
 

Dr. Harsh Vardhan also attended a Reception event at Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, where he met the S&T leadership of over 20 countries. On the side-lines of Arctic Science Ministerial meeting, he had a meeting with Mr. Jo Johnson, Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation, United Kingdom and discussed the bilateral programs. He also had a meeting with Mr. Roe Isaksen, Norwegian Minister for Education and Research and discussed the collaborations in areas of Arctic and Antarctic science and climate change.

During the visit to National Institute of Health, USA Dr. Harsh Vardhan was apprised on ongoing activities of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) by eminent scientist Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director, NIAID. Advancement of candidate vaccines for TB, Dengue, RSV and Chickungunya under bilateral Vaccine Development Program were also discussed.

The Minister also had interactions with science and technology Diaspora of DC metropolitan area at Cosmos Club, organized by Embassy of India and Indo-US Brain Trust, where eminent scientists, engineers, innovators and academicians interacted with the Minster and exchanged views on how to strengthen the scientific cooperation between the two countries. He reiterated that deep rooted S&T cooperation between scientific community and research institutions of two countries is a pillar of vibrant India-US relationship.

Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), Government of India, signed a 15-year contract with the International Seabed Authority (ISA), for exploration of Poly-Metallic Sulphides (PMS) in Indian Ocean, here today. The contract was signed by Dr. M Rajeevan, Secretary, MoES and Mr. Nii Allotey Odunton, Secretary General, ISA. The ISA is an institution set up under the Convention on Law of the Sea to which India is a Party.

The ISA earlier approved an application submitted by the Ministry of Earth Sciences for allotment of 10,000 sq. km. area along with 15-year plan of work for exploration of PMS along Central Indian Ridge (CIR) and Southwest Indian Ridge (SWIR) region of the Indian Ocean. The Union Cabinet approved signing of this 15-year contract by the Ministry with the ISA in its meeting held on June 15, 2016.

PMS, containing iron, copper, zinc, silver, gold, platinum in variable constitutions, are precipitates of hot fluids from upwelling hot magma from deep interior of the oceanic crust, discharged through mineralized chimneys. PMS in the Ocean Ridges have attracted worldwide attention for their long term commercial as well as strategic values.

By signing the 15-year contract, India’s exclusive rights for exploration of PMS in the allotted area in the Indian Ocean will be formalized. Further, it will enhance India’s presence in the Indian Ocean where other players like China, Korea and Germany are active.

The program will be implemented by the Ministry of Earth Sciences with the participation from various national institutes and research laboratories/ organizations.

Union Minister of Science & Technology and Earth Sciences and Vice President, CSIR, Dr. Harsh Vardhan, at a press conference organized here today, made an announcement that the CSIR Platinum Jubilee Celebrations would be inaugurated by the Prime Minister of India and President CSIR, Shri Narendra Modi in New Delhi on 26^th September, 2016. The Minister also launched CSIR’s Integrated Skill Initiative Program during the press conference.

Further, Dr. Harsh Vardhan informed that on this occasion, the Prime Minister would release seven new plant varieties developed at CSIR laboratories to the farmers located at five different locations from across the Nation, in an interactive mode through video conferencing. The Prime Minister would also witness an exclusive CSIR Showcase on major technological contributions of CSIR, organized on the sidelines of the event, he added.

On this occasion, the prestigious Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prizes would be given to eminent scientists. The CSIR Diamond Jubilee Technology Award, CSIR Award for Science & Technology Innovations for Rural Development, CSIR Technology awards, G.N Ramachandran Gold Medal for the year 2016, CSIR Young Scientist Award, CSIR Innovation Award for School Children are the other CSIR awards that would be presented on this occasion.    

After the formal launch of a major program on ‘CSIR Integrated Skill Initiative’, Dr. Harsh Vardhan also elaborated on the range of special activities built around the CSIR Platinum Jubilee Celebrations during the ensuing year, including organization of unique CSIR showcases and holding of lecture series of eminent scientists and industry captains, in several cities across the country.

The Minister added that CSIR proposes to launch 30 integrated skill initiatives in diverse areas with varying duration that would be further expanded to 75, within next one year.  All these training programs are interconnected and linked to industry requirements and thus would invariably contribute to the subsequent employment generation, including small-scale entrepreneurship, he emphasized.

Dr. Harsh Vardhan highlighted that CSIR, with its nearly 8000 highly talented S&T personnel, excellent inter-disciplinary expertise, state-of-the-art facilities and a Pan-India presence, it is in a unique position to contribute towards Government’s enterprise- enhancing programs in Skill India and Stand up India. He informed that no other Nation in the World has a conversion rate of innovations into patents over an average of 3-4% except CSIR, which has 13-14% on an average.

While congratulating CSIR on its achievements during the 75-year long journey, the Minister mentioned about some of its path breaking societal interventions which have empowered the common man. Be it the creation of the unique indelible ink used by the voting millions during its initial years or India’s first baby milk - Amul spray milk powder, derived from buffalo milk with excellent digestibility, or resurrecting the Indian leather industry from the verge of closure, due to pollutants contaminating water, thus saving the livelihood of thousands, CSIR has time and again proved itself relevant to the nation during its journey of its 75 years, he added.

On this occasion, in the presence of the Minister, the CSIR-Central Leather Research Institute (CSIR-CLRI), Chennai and Andhra Pradesh Scheduled Castes Cooperative Finance Corporation (APSCCFC) signed an agreement for skill training, upgradation and entrepreneurship development of 10000 underprivileged candidates who are below the double poverty line with an aim of creating income generation assets for their households enabling their socio-economic development.