GeoGenius: Everything students need to know about this Geography Olympiad  

Many of us enjoy watching the National Geographic, Lonely Planet and Discovery channels on TV. In 2010 a group of Indian geographers launched an Olympiad exclusively for Indian school students interested in geography. To begin with1000 kids participated, which was still more than what the small educational group expected. The next year, there were 3000 participants. And now in 2022, there are literally thousands of Indian students participating from hundreds of schools.   

The organisers of GeoGenius Olympiad, the IBGB Learning Society, have also come a long way from its start in 2009 as an effort by an elderly Mumbai couple who felt geography could be fun and informative. Here’s more about this Olympiad.   

Who is eligible for GeoGenius? 
Students of all Indian boards from Class 2 to 10 are eligible for GeoGenius. Entry is on school basis though, no individual entry allowed. A school has to register a minimum of 50 students across classes to register. Registration happens in the first week of June, the Level 1 and 2 exams happen in December, and the finals happen in March or April of the next year. Interested students need to check the Geo Genius website to get the finalised dates every year.   

What awards do GeoGenius winners get?  
Winners are awarded both at school and national levels. At school level, there are the gold, silver and bronze medals, and merit certificates for all participants. At the national level, apart from the medals, the gold winner gets a laptop, the silver medallist gets a tablet, and a digital watch is given to the bronze winner. All 3 get national trophies. All finalists get national level merit certificates.  

What is the aim of the GeoGenius Olympiad? 
The aim of GeoGenius is to inspire an active interest in geographical and environmental studies among youngsters. It also fosters an interactive spirit among peer group based on shared interest in one subject, and encourages kids from separate regions to team up on common projects.  

What is the students’ take-away from GeoGenius?   
GeoGenius participants rediscover geography as a subject that is alive, and go beyond school syllabus. Analytical skills and out of the box thinking capacities are developed in the process. The certification also counts.  A national talent pool is created in the process, and later helps in landing a job.