To nurture young talent, CM Saini launches Haryana Maths Olympiad

Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Monday emphasised the need to boost Haryana’s participation in Maths Olympiad at national and international level.

During his Budget speech, the CM expressed concern over low participation of Haryana’s students in mathematical contests.

“It is a matter of concern that Haryana has negligible representation in Mathematical Olympiads. Government school students show little interest in this field and we must change it. If our youth can excel in sports and bring laurels, why not in mathematics? To cultivate mathematical thinking, we are launching Haryana Maths Olympiad for Class X to Class XII students,” said CM Saini.

In preparation for the state-level expansion, the Director of Secondary Education has issued a letter to the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), Haryana, on March 17 to organise a special training session for teachers from March 20 to 22. National experts, who previously trained teachers in Karnal under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, would lead these sessions.

Karnal district has been a frontrunner in this initiative, which is set to expand across Haryana. In December, under the guidance of Additional Deputy Commissioner Yash Jaluka, a screening test was conducted across all six blocks of the district to finalise students for training. Around 2,000 students participated and 187 students were selected for specialised training in mathematics. These students would now prepare for the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education’s entrance test, scheduled for September.

Karnal has also set a benchmark in teacher training, collaborating with top academicians and experts to enhance the quality of education. Trainers included IIT Kanpur Professor Alok Kumar, GST Commissioner Jaipur Gaurav Sinha and SCERT Additional Director Sunil Bajaj.

A mathematics teacher said with Haryana stepping up efforts to identify and nurture young talent, more students would come forward.