Subarno Nath Roy, 15, trained for three years; his project on water conservation won him top honours at the Science Olympiad
Subrano Nath Roy, all of 15, has done Mumbai proud after beating students from 300 schools across 50 countries to bag gold at the 14th International Junior Science Olympiad (IJSO) 2017 held in the Netherlands. Subarno won gold for his project on water conservation.
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Subarno Nath Roy
Subarno, who is a Std X student of Pawar Public School, Bhandup, said, "I went through a rigorous training module for the Olympiad. I was in Std VIII when I started preparing for it. It did appear to be very difficult because we had to cover the science curriculum till the graduation level. But, I soon became extremely interested in the subjects and then it became more about wanting to learn more. Yet, I did not expect a gold medal."
Speaking about his time in the Netherlands, Subarno said "It was great experience. Other than getting to study such interesting subjects and at such a deep level, what was most interesting was the great exposure that this Olympiad had to offer. Very few countries seem to have the rigorous training methods that India has when it comes to competitive examinations like these. So, India does have an edge over others, even though competing with countries like Russia and China was very tough."
Subarno's hobbies are basketball, he plays for his school team, and playing the harmonium. Subarno's father Sukumar Nath Roy, a chemical engineer, said, "These extra-curricular activities are great stress relievers. I have always believed in both learning and becoming a better person. This gold medal has come as a great surprise."
Neeraj Poddar, Mumbai head of the Allen Career Institute, where Subarno trained for the Olympiad, said, "In every batch, we short list students who display extraordinary skills and expose them to such events where they get to learn a lot. It is done with the support of the child's parents. The kind of exposure provided to such children through similar events is such that many new career avenues are opened up for them."
Meanwhile, Subarno is focusing on his board examination, which is soon approaching. He said he wanted to clear that first before deciding which path to take in the field of science. "There is pure science, which I was introduced to while studying for the Olympiad. But, there are also professional branches such as engineering and medicine. Right now, all I can think about is studying for the board exam," said Subarno.
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