Two young scholars from Agartala have achieved remarkable success in the Science Olympiad Foundation (SOF) exams for the academic year 2023-24.
Satya Das, a fourth grader from Sri Krishna Mission School, secured the top international rank in the International English Olympiad, earning an international gold medal and a merit certificate.
Archisman Debnath, a first grader from Holy Cross School, achieved second place in the International Mathematics Olympiad, receiving an international silver medal and a merit certificate.
This year’s SOF Olympiad witnessed participation from millions of students across 70 countries.
The awards ceremony, hosted at the Dr. Ambedkar International Centre in Delhi, honoured the top performers, their teachers, and principals.
Distinguished guests such as former Chief Justice of India, Justice Dipak Misra, and renowned author and screenwriter Chetan Bhagat graced the occasion, celebrating the top three rank holders worldwide from grades 1 to 12 who participated in seven different Olympiad exams.
Addressing the gathering of over 700 attendees, Justice Dipak Misra emphasised the perpetual nature of competition and its role in achieving success.
He stated, “Competition or the effort to compete doesn’t end here, that is the beauty of competition in life. When you talk about competition, success follows it because everyone competes to succeed. Success is the real achievement.”
Justice Misra also highlighted the importance of time management, stating, “One may not be able to master the ‘time,’ but they should be determined to manage time. Time management is a major step toward success. On the path to success, one may face certain difficulties, and at that time, do not react in a manner that will show weakness of mind.”
He advised young students to always remember their Alma Mater and underscored the irreplaceable nature of human intellect and experience in contrast to artificial intelligence.
During the event, 66 international rank-1 winners were awarded a cash prize, a gold medal, and a merit certificate.
The rank-2 winners received a silver medal, a merit certificate, and a cash prize, while the rank-3 winners were given a bronze medal, a merit certificate, and a cash prize.
Additionally, the top 26 principals and top 60 teachers from 70 participating countries, whose students performed exceptionally well, were honoured with monetary awards, mementos, and citations.
SOF also announced the launch of the International Hindi Olympiad to promote the Hindi language among younger generations, fostering a deeper appreciation and proficiency in their mother tongue.
This new Olympiad aims to instill linguistic and cultural pride among students globally.
Interacting with students, Indian author and columnist Chetan Bhagat remarked, “When you get recognition and awards for something, you feel, I should do it more. This is the recognition of your potential. Potential doesn’t mean that the result is guaranteed. You have to do the work and then you turn that potential into something beautiful.”
Speaking on the rise of artificial intelligence, Bhagat added, “While AI can make things easy, it can never truly replace humans. AI cannot create art; it lacks the human touch.”
Mahabir Singh, Founder Director of SOF, proudly announced the completion of 26 years of organizing Olympiad exams.
He noted, “In the 2023-24 academic year, over 91,000 schools from 70 countries participated, with millions of students involved. More than 1,30,000 students from 7000 schools received awards for top state-level ranks, and over 1,000,000 students were honoured with ‘Gold Medals of Excellence’ for excelling in their schools. Additionally, 3,500 principals and teachers were recognised for their dedication to enhancing students’ academic knowledge.”
Several initiatives were unveiled during the ceremony, including scholarships for meritorious girl children from economically weaker sections and students from Defense Services Families who excel in academics.
Furthermore, SOF announced the organization of training programs, camps, and exhibitions to enhance students’ academic knowledge.
The award felicitation ceremony was also graced by Guest of Honour Prof. Y. S. Rajan, Former Vikram Sarabhai Distinguished Professor at ISRO, visionary scientist, author, technologist; CS Ashish Mohan, Secretary of the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI); and Mr. R. Ravi, CEO and Founder of Epiance Software Pvt. Ltd. in Bengaluru.
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