More than 7,000 students from the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and the adjacent union territory of Puducherry took part in the Olympiad competition in mathematics, chemistry and physics titled “Precise Energy 2022” organised last week by the Russian state atomic energy corporation Rosatom.
A Rosatom statement said the competition was designed to stimulate an interest in the study of technical scientific disciplines that are important for specialisations in nuclear energy. The event was also aimed at promoting science and technology, and was held to encourage talented youth in the educational institutions in Tamil Nadu.
Rosatom is the equipment supplier and technical consultant for the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KNPP) in Tamil Nadu, the first two units of which are already connected to the grid. Rosatom is also collaborating with the Indian operator, the state-run Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL), in building four more similar reactors of 1,000 MW capacity each at Kudankulam – Units 3, 4, 5 and 6.
“We fully support the interest of young people in science and technology, because an educated young generation is the key to the prosperity of any country”, Rosatom South Asia Regional Center CEO, Andrey Shevlyakov, said in a statement.
The preliminary stage of the Olympiad started on August 24, and was held at some of the leading educational institutions of Tamil Nadu. In total, more than 75 schools, universities and colleges from 5 cities of Tamil Nadu participated in the Olympiad.
“The state Tamil Nadu was chosen to host the Olympiad not by chance. Tamil Nadu is not only the region of the construction of the Kudankulam NPP – the most important Russian-Indian energy project, but also the birthplace of a large number of talented persons”, said Rosatom engineering division Atomstroyexport’s Head of Communications Nina Dementsova.
The best performing students from the first round of the competition will be selected for the final stage, which will be held in Chennai in the autumn of 2022, and the top 3 students in each discipline will be awarded with valuable prizes, the statement said.
The Olympiad “Precise Energy” is traditionally held by Rosatom’s engineering division together with ANO Energy of Future in partnership with the Russian House in Chennai, the Moscow Engineering Physics Institute and Tamil Nadu Science and Technology Centre.
The Olympiad “Precise Energy” has become a regular feature among Rosatom’s many initiatives to raise public awareness about the benefits of nuclear technology. The first such competition, organized in 2020, generated a great interest among young people, and saw participation from over 3,000 students, the statement added.
