Sports 05 September 2026
Team India Achieves Historic Best-Ever Tally with 9 Medals at 19th International Earth Science Olympiad (IESO) 2026
Why in the News?
Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Earth Sciences, Dr. Jitendra Singh, felicitated the young student delegates of 'Team India' at Prithvi Bhawan, New Delhi, for achieving a historic haul of 9 medals at the 19th International Earth Science Olympiad (IESO) 2026 in Turin, Italy.
Key Features / Major Points:
Historic Tally: India secured its highest-ever medal count—4 Gold, 3 Silver, and 2 Bronze medals—competing against participants from 39 countries.
Top Performers:
Soumik Mandal (West Bengal): Won 2 Gold & 1 Silver (Ranked 3rd globally).
Aaron Maiti (West Bengal): Won 1 Gold & 1 Bronze.
Riddhi Ranjan (Bihar): Won 1 Gold & 1 Silver.
Md Ehtesham Rizwi (Bihar): Won 1 Silver & 1 Bronze.
Selection & Training Pipeline: Fully backed by the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) under its Outreach initiative; the Geological Society of India (GSI) conducted the national selection test, followed by an intensive training camp at M.S. University, Vadodara, Gujarat.
Event Location: Held from August 20 to 27, 2026, in Turin, Italy.
Static GK Facts:
Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES): Headquarters: Prithvi Bhawan, New Delhi | Union Minister: Dr. Jitendra Singh.
Geological Society of India (GSI): Established: 1958 | Headquarters: Bengaluru, Karnataka.
IESO: Annual competition for secondary school students, organized under the aegis of the International Geoscience Education Organisation (IGEO).
One-Liner Quiz (All Competitive Exams):
Q: Which city in Italy hosted the 19th International Earth Science Olympiad (IESO) 2026?
A: Turin
Q: How many total medals did Team India secure at the 19th IESO 2026?
A: 9 Medals (4 Gold, 3 Silver, 2 Bronze)
Q: Which organization facilitates the nationwide selection test for the Earth Science Olympiad in India?
A: Geological Society of India (GSI)