The Mathematical Olympiad Programme in India, which leads to participation of Indian students in the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) is organized by the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE) on behalf of the National Board for Higher Mathematics (NBHM) of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), Government of India. This programme is one of the major initiatives undertaken by the NBHM. Its main purpose is to spot mathematical talent among pre-university students in the country.
For the purpose of training and selection of students for the Olympiad contest, 25 regions all over the country have been designated and each assigned a Regional Coordinator (RC). Additionally, three groups (Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS) and Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathana (KVS) have a ‘Regional Coordinator’ each. The Mathematical Olympiad programme consists of six stages.
International Mathematics Olympiad has been conducted by National Board for Higher Mathematics (NBHM) NBHM from 1986 onwards and is currently run in collaboration with the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education, Mumbai.
This exam was started in 1959 in Romania. India had been participating in IMO since 1989 and has been winning at least an honorable mention of most years.
IMO is conducted in six stages with the first five being conducted in India (by HBCSE) and the last one is a member country (different each year).
The final stages are IMO where students represent their country on an international stage.
The international Olympiad movement is aimed at bringing the most gifted secondary and higher secondary students of the world together in a friendly competition of the highest level. The Olympiads do not lead directly to any career benefits; rather, they provide a stimulus to begin a career in science or mathematics, to undertake a lifelong journey into the realms of exciting intellectual challenges. The Olympiads are not merely competitions, they are the meeting places of the brightest young minds of the world, and many friendships forged at the Olympiads form the seeds of scientific collaboration later in life. Much like the Olympics in sports, the Olympiads are a celebration of the very best in school level science and mathematics.
A major national Olympiad programme in basic sciences and mathematics which connects to the international Olympiads is in operation in India. The Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education is the nodal centre of the country for this programme. The programme aims at promoting excellence in science and mathematics among pre-university students.
Among the sciences, the Olympiad programme in Astronomy (junior and senior level), Biology, Chemistry, Junior Science and Physics is a five stage process for each subject separately. The first stage for each subject is organized by the Indian Association of Physics Teachers (IAPT) in collaboration with teacher associations in other subjects. All the remaining stages are organized by Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE).
The mathematical olympiad programe is a five stage process conducted under the aegis of National Board for Higher Mathematics (NBHM). The first stage PRMO is conducted by the Mathematics Teachers’ Association (India). The website for PRMO is http://www.mtai.org.in/prmo . All the remaining stages are organized by Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE).
Whether you are a student or a teacher of science/mathematics, we invite you to explore the various dimensions of the olympiad program, dimensions that are not often encountered in regular education. If you are eligible, we strongly encourage you to directly participate in the programme. If you are outside the eligibility window, we invite you to use the olympiad resources as a learning opportunity for yourself and your friends.
The Science Olympiad programme is fully funded by the Government of India through the Board of Research in Nuclear Science, Department of Atomic Energy (BRNS, DAE), Department of Science and Technology(DST), Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) and the Indian Space Research Organisation, Department of Space (ISRO, DoS).
The Mathematical Olympiad is funded by the Government of India, through the National Board of Higher Mathematics (NBHM) of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE).
A large number of secondary, higher secondary and undergraduate teachers from all over India are involved in the national Olympiad programme. Many of them are invited to Resource Generation Camps (RGCs) at HBCSE throughout the year. Exposure camps are also organised at HBCSE to orient teachers to the academic and organisational aspects of the Olympiads. Usually these camps are held in the second half of the calendar year. Teachers are encouraged to keep an eye on our website for participation in exposure camps.
HBCSE Mathematical Olympiad Exam is conducted for the following classes.