Mangaluru, May 22: Aditya Prakash, a city based math genius has been selected for the team of six Indian students to represent India in the 2017 International Mathematics Olympiad this summer.
He will be the first student from Karnataka in the last 21 years to represent India at IMO. The 2017 International Mathematics Olympiad is being held in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil in this July. The team will travel to Brazil to compete with more than 400 students from nearly 100 countries.
Aditya is student of Centre of Advanced Learning (CFAL) Mangaluru and is the son of Prathima and Om Prakash Barnval. He is a motivated student who looks for challenges beyond the school curriculum. He is a self-directed learner and is very passionate about problem solving. His mathematics teachers at CFAL, Prof. P N Subramanya and Dr Srikanth Pai have mentored him over the years in solving deep mathematical puzzles and practicing non- standard techniques. In addition to these teachers, Aditya has consulted Prof. Ragavendra and various other top mathematicians at CFAL in his preparation for the Olympiad.
The team at CFAL had a dream that someone from Mangaluru should represent the country at the International Mathematics Olympiad. After all, the region has been consistently producing several candidates selected at state level. For the past several years, ALL selections from Mangaluru in the Karnataka Regional Mathematics Olympiads were CFAL students. Aditya’s selection to IMO is a great news for CFAL, Mangaluru region and the state of Karnataka.
Aditya who studies Advanced Mathematics and Science at CFAL hopes that he does well at the International Math Olympiad. Aditya has already got admission in CMI (Chennai Mathematical Institute), his dream institute, the premier institute for Mathematics in the country.
School Math versus Olympiad Math
The Mathematical Olympiad exams require ingenious thinking and a good mastery over the fundamentals of mathematics. Essentially, these exams are full of deep puzzles which require persistent and creative approaches. The competition is fierce and the questions are some of the toughest in the world.
In contrast, school syllabus focuses on rote learning and standardized computation. While this approach allows securing marks in board exams, it discourages original thinking and denies the thrill of problem solving. As a result, gifted students have to look for challenges outside the school curriculum.
CFAL promotes original thinking among students. CFAL has a batch of students who study under NIOS- an open schooling board where students can focus and excel in their areas of strength. In the recently declared JEE-Main 2017results, the topper of Mangalore is a NIOS student! In fact, last year, JEE-Main 2016 topper from Mangalore was also a NIOS student. Many students in Mangalore are unaware that self-directed learning and learning outside the school curriculum can lead to strong fundamentals, deep love for the subject and high performance in competitive examinations.
The Math and Science Olympiad exams can identify gifted students who are generally nurtured into future researchers. Many Olympiad toppers from a decade ago are making great strides in mathematics, sciences and computer science today. They do this with consistent and generous help from the government of India. The HBCSE site explains in clear terms: “If you clear INMO( Indian National Mathematics Olympiad) and if you take up mathematics in your under-graduation, you are eligible for a handsome scholarship by NBHM(National Board for Higher Mathematics). This will continue, with appropriate increase, till you finish your Ph.D”.
No one from Karnataka has qualified to represent India at the IMO in the last 21 years. The last student who represented Karnataka managed to win a gold medal and now he is a professor of mathematics at Cornell University.
Details of Olympiads
HomiBhabha Centre for Science education is the nodal centre of the country for Olympiad programmes. The Olympiads Examinations are conducted in subjects, physics, chemistry, mathematics, biology, astronomy and junior science . The programmes aim at promoting excellence in science and mathematics among pre-university and high school students. www.hbcse.tifr.res.in/olympiads
The Mathematical Olympiad Programme in India, which leads to participation of Indian students in the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) is organized by the HomiBhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE) on behalf of the National Board for Higher Mathematics (NBHM) of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), Government of India. This programme is one of the major initiatives undertaken by the NBHM. Its main purpose is to spot mathematical talent among pre-university students in the country.
For the purpose of training and selection of students for the Olympiad contest, 25 regions all over the country have been designated and each assigned a Regional Coordinator (RC). Additionally, three groups (Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), NavodayaVidyalaya Samiti (NVS) and KendriyaVidyalayaSangathana (KVS) have a ‘Regional Coordinator’ each. The Mathematical Olympiad programme consists of five stages.
Six Member Team
The International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) is the largest, oldest and most prestigious scientific Olympiad for students. While many private entities conduct different Olympiads, there is only ONE Olympiad that is recognized by the Government and which is internationally recognized (Like the Olympics for sport)
The International Olympiads in Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics, Astronomy and Junior Science is an annual event, which is held in June/ July every year. The country hosting the IMO for different subjects varies from year to year. This year, the 58th International Mathematics Olympiad (IMO 2017) will be held in Rio De Janeiro in Brazil.
The selection of the Indian team was a three-tier process: after the Regional Mathematical Olympiad, conducted at state level, 300 students from all over the country appear for the Indian National Mathematical Olympiad (INMO).Around 30 students selected from INMO attend a training camp in Mumbai. Among these, a selected team of 6 students will represent India at the International Mathematics Olympiads (IMO) 2017. At IMO, participants are expected to solve 3 problems in 4 and a half hours. This problem solving Olympiad takes place on two days in the IMO and six best students of each participating country try to solve these problems in the allotted time.
Comments
I was looking for Olympiad exams that provide individual registration and online exam mode for students. I found CREST and Unicus Olympiads provides this. Does any site provide this facility too?
Congratulations to him on achieving the success, hope he comes out to be a winner in the IMO Olympiad and raise the national prestige higher. Thanks to his mentors and teachers who have provided him with the right guidance. Best wishes to him!
The claim that Aditya is the 1st student from Karnataka to participate in "International Maths Olympiad" is false. There were several students in the past from Karnataka, who have already won medals at IMO. For eg: 1) Niranjan Nilakantan, Bronz medal at IMO 1991, 1992. 2) N.V.Tejaswi --> Gold medal at IMO 1998, 3) Ajay Ramadoss--> Gold medal at IMO 1996 etc.
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