A team of four girls from India, trained at the Chennai Mathematical Institute (CMI), participated in the 13th European Girls’ Mathematical Olympiad (EGMO) 2024. They have won two silver and two bronze medals. This marks the second occasion where all four members of the Indian team have secured medals at EGMO since the country’s debut in 2015.
This achievement was first attained during EGMO 2022, when all four participants secured Bronze medals.
The students are, Gunjan Aggarwal (17) from Gurugram, Sanjana Philo Chacko (15) from Thiruvananthapuram, Larissa (16) from Hisar, and Saee Vitthal Patil (17) from Pune.
Gunjan and Sanjana secured the silver medals, while Larissa and Saee earned bronze at EGMO 2024. These students were prepared at Chennai’s esteemed math institution, CMI, with other institute students Sahil Mhaskar, Aditi Muthkhod, and Ananya Ranade, helped them as mentors and accompanied them to the Olympiad.
Aggarwal, the eldest among them, is set to pursue a mathematics major at Cambridge. Aggarwal mentioned that being trained and guided by peers and former Olympiad medalists who were close to their age group, also helped.
Since 2021, there has been a separate EGMO Training Camp (EGMOTC) where potential candidates are trained, and the EGMO team is selected based on their performance in tests. Since 2022, the EGMOTC has been hosted by the Chennai Mathematical Institute (CMI), with students, including former Olympians, contributing to the teaching and problem selection process.
The girls received training and mentorship through the training camp at the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE). HBCSE conducts the National Olympiad Examination, serving as the gateway for aspirants aiming to represent the country internationally.
For EGMO 2024, 10 girls, selected from regional rounds, underwent training at CMI. According to Madhavan Mukund, Director of CMI, the number is expected to increase for the next EGMO to around 15.
Taking place in Tskaltubo, Georgia, from April 11-17, 2024, EGMO is exclusively for high school female students, who have a passion for mathematics beyond the regular curriculum. Started in the UK in April 2012, EGMO has expanded since then, encompassing over fifty countries and welcoming participants from beyond Europe.
Olympiads like EGMO serve as a platform to unite talented secondary and higher secondary students globally. While they may not directly translate into career benefits, they typically ignite students’ interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields and facilitate cultural exchange among teenagers worldwide.
(Picture Credit – PIB)
