India's Best-Ever IESO Haul: Nine Medals at Turin Earth Science Olympiad
India's four-member team won nine medals, including four golds, at the 19th International Earth Science Olympiad in Turin — the country's best-ever performance.
India has achieved its finest result to date at the International Earth Science Olympiad (IESO), with a four-member student team returning from Turin, Italy, with nine medals. The haul at the 19th edition of the competition, held from August 20 to 27, 2026, comprises four gold, three silver, and two bronze medals.
The team — Saumik Mandal, Aaron Maiti, Riddhi Ranjan, and Md Ehtesham Rizwi — earned their medals across the event's written and practical examinations, the International Team Field Investigation, and the Earth Science Project competitions.
The selection process was rigorous. The four students were chosen from a pool of around 17,000 participants in the national selection rounds. They subsequently attended an intensive three-week training and selection programme at the Department of Geology, Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, which ran from May 20 to June 11, 2026.
This year's performance surpasses the seven medals India won at the 2025 edition. While the country's previous best in-person IESO result was 10 medals in 2019, the 2026 outcome has been described by the team as its best-ever overall performance.
The IESO provides school students with a platform to compete in Earth science disciplines, including geology, geophysics, meteorology, oceanography, and environmental science. India's pathway to the international stage involves a national entrance test, a training camp, and the Indian National Earth Science Olympiad before the final squad is confirmed.