10th International Junior Science Olympiad

October 15, 2013Newsletter Issue 1

Vigyan Beats, the official newsletter of IJSO 2013, will be your companion in IJSO 2013. This inaugural issue introduces you to the organizers, the host city Pune, and the participating countries. Take a peek inside, to find out about some tourist destinations around Pune. We also invite you to some glimpses of exciting India!

The 10th International Junior Science Olympiad is supported by the Government of India through its Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), Department of Science and Technology (DST), and the National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT) of the Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD).

HBCSE main building

Research and Development at HBCSE is informed by contemporary scholarship in cognitive, social, historical and philosophical aspects of science and education. HBCSE is also the nodal centre of the country for Olympiad programmes in mathematics and the sciences including astronomy. The Olympiad programmes aim at promoting excellence in science and mathematics among pre-university students.The National Initiative on Undergraduate Science (NIUS), is a major initiative of HBCSE concerning tertiary science education for promoting undergraduate research. Introducing innovative experiments and rejuvenating the Undergraduate Laboratory is an important component of the NIUS. Another aspect has been to assist college teachers in setting up modest research programs who in turn would then locally mentor students.HBCSE welcomes everyone to IJSO 2013!

The event is organised by the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE) which is a national centre of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai. The broad goals of the centre are to promote equity and quality in science and mathematics education for students and teachers from primary school to undergraduate level, and to encourage the growth of scientific literacy in the country.

Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education IJSO 2013 Organiser

Vigyan

Beats

Welcome to Pune, Queen of the Deccan

The city of Pune proudly hosts the IJSO 2013. Surrounded by scenic hills, Pune is the eighth largest metropolis in India and the second largest city in the state of Maharashtra. About 170 km from Mumbai, Pune is well-connected by road, rail and air. Situated 560 metres (1,837 feet) above sea level, Pune is located at the confluence of the Mula and Mutha rivers. The modern cosmopolitan city is also well-known for its historical and cultural heritage, educational institutions and industrial as well as Information Technology (IT) establishments. In the winter month of December, the days are dry and the daytime temperature hovers around a pleasant 29 °C (84.2 °F) while the night temperature can drop below 12 °C (53.6 °F).

Shaniwar Wada

Executive Committee members visit IndiaIn the month of July, two members of the executive committee, Prof. Yung-Ta Chang, Secretary General, IJSO, and Dr. Mahesh Edirisinghe, Public Relation Officer, IJSO, visited HBCSE, Mumbai, India. Prof. Yung-Ta Chang is from the Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, and Dr. Mahesh Edirisinghe is from the Department of Physics, University of Colombo.

The guests visited the city of Pune on July 3 and 4, 2013. Dr. P. K. Joshi, Vice President, and Convener, IJSO-2013, Prof. Vijay Singh, National Coordinator of Science Olympiads, India, Dr. Aniket Sule, Academic Coordinator, Astronomy Olympiad, India, and Madhavi Gaitonde, Senior Administrative Officer, all from HBCSE, accompanied the guests to Pune.

On July 4, the group explored the excursion sites in and around Pune. On July 5, the EC had an official meeting in Mumbai, where the President, IJSO, joined them through video conferencing. The subsequent preparations related to the program are in full swing!

On July 3, the group inspected the venue of the examination, the Balewadi Sports Complex, as well as the accomodation facilities for the Olympiad participants. In the evening, the group visited the Giant Meter Wave Radio Telescope (GMRT), a facility of Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR).

Participating Countries

You must be aware that India is a sovereign, socialist, secular, and democratic republic. India is the largest democracy in the world, currently comprising of 35 states and union territories. India is also a land of diversity! While 22 languages are listed in the constitution, there are over a thousand dialects spoken all over the country. More than eight religions are followed, and there are also numerous tribal communities. You would be tantalized by the variety of Indian cuisines; Punjabi, Bengali, Gujarati, Mughal, Rajasthani, South Indian, and Maharashtrian, to name a few. The diversity of traditional colourful costumes and festivals may fascinate you, so also the classical and folk dances, music, and art.One wonders how India has sustained this plurality over several centuries, and how diversities flourish within her, even in modern times. In subsequent issues of Vigyan Beats, we plan to take you on a journey to explore and celebrate the 'why' and 'how' of India's identity. Most interestingly, science will intertwine every step of this exploration!

Science in Culture and Culture in Science

This year, about 40 countries from all over the world will participate in the International Junior Science Olympiad. A couple of countries will join us for the first time by each sending an observer. Vigyan Beats can't wait to know all the participants better, and introduce you to each other. During IJSO, Vigyan Beats hopes to resonate with your excitement and anticipation, friendships and healthy rivalries, and offer you a platform to express yourself!

Jantar Mantar, Rajasthan

Attractions around Pune

Coming soon

Editorial team

In the upcoming issues, we bring you the latest updates on IJSO 2013. We also bring you the schedule, more details about the city of Pune, and the exciting excursions you will enjoy. Until then, why don't you take a guess at what the title of this newsletter means!

Chitra Natarajan, Geetanjali Date, Rafikh Shaikh, Shraddha Ghumre, Adithi Muralidhar, Manoj Nair, Subeer Kangsbanik

In case you are a wanderer, and love to explore natural, historical, and cultural places, you can plan short trips around Pune, before or after the Olympiad. In this part of India, the post-monsoon landscapes are truly enticing, and December is the best month to be outdoors. Here are some of the destinations you may want to find more about.

Bibi ka makbara (replica of Taj), Aurangabad Gateway of India,

Mumbai

Hazur Sahib,Nanded

Murud-Janjira fort, Alibaug

Siddhagiri Gramjivan Museum, Kolhapur

Deekshabhumi,Nagpur Crater lake,

Lonar Bhimashankar Wildlife

Sanctuary, Khed

Ajanta Caves,Aurangabad

Aniruddha Dhamorikar