5 college students to signify India at 2025 Worldwide Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics

Certificates of choice and participation being introduced to members of the Astronomy OCSC at IISER, Mohali, Punjab
| Picture Credit score: Particular Association

On the ‘Astronomy Olympiad’ — Orientation-cum-Choice Camp (OCSC) held on the Indian Institute of Science Training and Analysis (IISER), Mohali, 5 college students have been chosen on Wednesday (June 11, 2025) to signify India on the 2025 Worldwide Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA), scheduled to be held in Mumbai in August this 12 months.

The OCSC was aimed toward offering intensive coaching to college students shortlisted by national-level examinations and assessing their grasp of core ideas and sensible strategies in astronomy and astrophysics.

Jasjeet Singh Bagla, Professor on the Division of Bodily Sciences, IISER Mohali, mentioned a complete of 54 college students have been chosen for the Astronomy OCSC from almost 500 candidates who appeared for the Indian Nationwide Astronomy Olympiad and ranked among the many high of their respective classes.

“Of those, 37 college students from completely different components of India participated within the OCSC. A staff of 5 college students was chosen to signify the nation within the Worldwide Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA) 2025, which is to be held in Mumbai, India, in August 2025,” he mentioned in an announcement.

The chosen college students are Aarush Mishra, Sumant Gupta, Banibrata Majee, Panini, and Akshat Srivastava.

Prof. Bagla mentioned that Aarush Mishra was conferred the ‘C.L. Bhat Memorial Award’ for greatest efficiency on the camp, whereas Sumant Gupta acquired the award for greatest efficiency within the observational take a look at. Akshat Srivastava secured two awards — for greatest efficiency in idea and in knowledge evaluation.

The OCSC curriculum included lectures, tutorials, telescope setup and dealing with, in addition to sky remark classes. “The Astronomy OCSC is often organised by the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Training (HBCSE), a centre of the Tata Institute of Elementary Analysis (TIFR), Mumbai. Nonetheless, this 12 months, as HBCSE is internet hosting the IOAA, the accountability for choice and coaching of the Indian staff was entrusted to IISER Mohali,” Prof. Bagla famous.

A staff of astronomers and college members from the Central College of Haryana, Mahendragarh; Thapar Institute of Engineering and Expertise, Patiala; Indian Institute of Expertise (IIT) Kanpur; Ashoka College, Sonepat; Central College of Himachal Pradesh, Shahpur; and IISER Mohali collaborated to organise the camp.

“Classes within the coaching programme have been anchored by useful resource individuals from these institutes, together with scientists from the Raman Analysis Institute, Bengaluru; Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bengaluru; Nationwide Institute of Science Training and Analysis (NISER), Bhubaneswar; and the Inter-College Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA),” he mentioned.

The camp additionally featured a particular lecture by Professor Dipankar Bhattacharya of Ashoka College, who delivered a chat on imaging throughout completely different wavebands in astronomy.