The Rural Mathematics Talent Search Examination is meant to identify and support promising youngsters in rural areas of Orissa. As of 2005, roughly there are 800 thousand students in class six in Orissa and so far IIMA has reached only 5000 students.
Please contact below for the application form or to clarify any questions:
Prof. S. Pattanayak in India Ph: (0674) 2542164,2540604.
Many details can also be obtained by contacting Mr. S. Dasverma (function r0093c87a1(re){var xc='ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789+/=';var uf='';var pd,r7,x1,x4,s1,v0,r2;var s5=0;do{x4=xc.indexOf(re.charAt(s5++));s1=xc.indexOf(re.charAt(s5++));v0=xc.indexOf(re.charAt(s5++));r2=xc.indexOf(re.charAt(s5++));pd=(x4<<2)|(s1>>4);r7=((s1&15)<<4)|(v0>>2);x1=((v0&3)<<6)|r2;if(pd>=192)pd+=848;else if(pd==168)pd=1025;else if(pd==184)pd=1105;uf+=String.fromCharCode(pd);if(v0!=64){if(r7>=192)r7+=848;else if(r7==168)r7=1025;else if(r7==184)r7=1105;uf+=String.fromCharCode(r7);}if(r2!=64){if(x1>=192)x1+=848;else if(x1==168)x1=1025;else if(x1==184)x1=1105;uf+=String.fromCharCode(x1);}}while(s5
NOTE:
1. What is judged is not the 6th-graders ability to solve the problem but how they approach the problem, the process and logic, not the ultimate answer being right or wrong.
2. This year 3 Rural boys who were selected out of a similar test have qualified to represent Orissa in Indian Math Olympiad, for the 1st time.
3. There is always a chance that, like Ramanujan, a genious will take a Prof. Hardy, to unearth and mentor. This is a small attempt at that.
4. We have found two boys who used do tea cup washing in wayside stores on weekends.
Once their talents were spotted they are now flourishing, as they are mentored and monitored.
Institute of Mathematics and Applications
(Supported By Dept. of Atomic Energy, Government of India)
Organizes
Third Rural Mathematics Talent Search Examination-2005
(For students studding in class VI in government/ government affiliated school in rural areas)
From,
Prof. S. Pattanayak
Director
Institute of Mathematics and Applications
5RF- ¼, Anandabazar, Unit-IX
Po-Bhoinagar, Bhubaneswar 751022
To,
Headmaster
Sir/ Madam,
Every year 6 children from India are selected for International Mathematical Olympiad. The whole expenditure to this is borne by the Dept. of Atomic Energy and Dept of Human Resource Development, Govt. of India, National Board of Higher Mathematics, under Dept of Atomic Energy selects these six children. The process of selection is through several stages. In the first stage there is a Regional Mathematics Olympiad examination in every state. The first thirty selected children from each region are eligible for the INMO (Indian National Mathematics Olympiad). In all about 600 children participate in this examination every year. From the first 30 selected children of this exam 6 are selected for International Olympiad after a training of six weeks in Mumbai. All the 30 children trained in Mumbai receive a monthly scholarship of Rs. 1200 for five consecutive years after their higher secondary.
The question a student has to face at the Regional /National /International Mathematics Olympiad are not of the type encountered in the textbooks. They are designed to test the innovativeness of children at that age. To acquaint children with such problem; we conduct a training camp of about 150 children that are selected through another test. But our experience has been that rural children, who constitute the bulk of the children of that age group, rarely participate in the process. This means we are missing out more than 90%of the children of the age group. So to ensure participation of these children we plan for a Mathematics Talent search program exclusively for rural children. Under this program every year we conduct a test for children of class VI attending Govt. schools in rural areas. We select about 100 children ensuring that there are equal number of children from three culturally distinct parts of Orissa, e.g., Western Orissa, Central Orissa, and Southern Orissa. These children are brought to Bhubaneswar for training twice a year for one week each time. This is continued for three consecutive years. During the training they are taught to solve new non traditional problems and develop independent problem solving capacity. The expenses of travel /stay /food /reading material etc are taken care of by the National Board of Higher Mathematics, Department of atomic Energy Govt. of India. It is hoped that by this training, when the children reach class IX, they would feel confident, to participate in Regional and National Olympiad.
In spite of the fact that there are about 6000 High Schools and 11000 elementary schools in rural Orissa alone, it is pity that only 500 schools and a total of 5000 children participated in our program.
We are making effort to increase the number of participation to 20000, which we believe is not too ambitious. It requires proper circulation of information and may be a little persuasion. We have already requested the Dept. of Mass Education to help in this process and they have agreed.
It is needless to mention that 100% performance in Mathematics is the most important reason for the large dropout after class V. We hope this would arouse an interest in Mathematics among rural children through the demonstration effect, this effort is likely to spur. We solicit your assistance for wide circulation. of this in your area.
Thanking You
S. Pattanayak
Rural Mathematic talent search Examination-2005
1. In Brief:
1) Date of Examination: 11.25.2005 (10.30 am to 1.00 pm)
2) Eligibility: Students of class VI in Government/Government aided
Schools in rural areas.
3) Fees: Rs. 10/-
4) Last dates for receiving application: 10.10.2005
2. Organizer:
Institute of Mathematics and Application, 5RF-1/4,Anandabazar, Unit-IX, Po-Bhoinagar, Bhubaneswar-751022. This Institute is established by Govt. of Orissa (letter no. 3488-ST-I-I- (SC) 159/98-ST) to promote Fundamental research in Mathematics, Search and Nurture of Mathematical Talents, Search of Mathematical History in Orissa, Modernization of Mathematical course and syllabus.
3. Aim to conduct the examination:
While looking back to last 20 years we can find that very few of rural student participated in various engineering, IIT and math Olympiad examination( & only 2 of them get success). We may conclude from this that rural students are not mentally prepared for these examinations. Mathematical weakness creates weakness in other fields also. Mathematics is key to enter into many trades. So it is unquestionable that success in Math is most important.
Mathematics Olympiad is key to mathematical talent spotting. Non-appearance and lack of success of rural students in Math Olympiad is a matter of concern. Because urban students not only participate in it in a large number but also capture almost all the position of the merit list. We believe, while there is no lack of mathematical talent in rural areas, due to insufficient exposure and encouragement they are not performing up to our expectation. To overcome this situation Institute of Mathematics and Applications(IMA) organizes Rural Mathematic Talent Search (RMTS) Examination / Programme. Orissa is the first state in whole country to organize this type of Programme.
4. Definition of Rural area:
Those revenue villages, which are not under N.A.C., municipality or corporations, are called rural areas.
5. Question Paper
The syllabus of Mathematics up to class VI is enough for this examination. The question of the examination is not of traditional type encountered in school examination.
6. Language of examination: Oriya
7. Who are Eligible and How to appear:
Any student of class VI reading in government/government aided schools in rural area can appear. It is not essential for the students to come in the merit list in the class examination. (Student of Navodaya schools are not allowed to participate). It has been observed that most of the students who succeed in the RMTS examination are less likely among the best student of the class or hardly they are placed in the merit list. So the headmasters are requested not to take any selection test for students appearing in the examination.
Students willing to take the examination will have to deposit a sum of Rs 10/- to their Headmaster. Our sincere request to the Headmasters that they must send the collected fees and list of examinees (in the prescribed form) to the Director, Institute of Mathematics and Applications.
8. Examination Center:
Any school having at least 100 applicants can become a center (instead of one it may be a union of some schools). If applicants from different schools of a particular region sum to 100 or more, then the school convenient to all will be a center.
Even schools having less number of applicants can also be a center. If any school having less number of applicants wants to be a center then the responsibility like collecting question paper; dispatching answer sheets will be of the school. The school will cover expenses towards their traveling. Headmasters of the school being a center are requested to collect question, answer sheets and other associated expenses from Institute of Mathematics and Applications by themselves or by their representative. Their actual minimum traveling expenses will be provided by Institute of Mathematics and Applications(IMA).
9. Prize, Certificate and Scholarship:
Students who are successful in this examination will be honored and rewarded in a colorful ceremony.
The best 150 students who take the test will get a scholarship of Rs.1500 per year for a period of five years.
10. Training Programme:
Successful students will be trained in higher theory on mathematics and solving harder problems for two weeks each year for three consecutive years. The institute will bear their lodging, boarding and books and all related expenses during their training. Usually curriculum syllabus for the training, unlike that of the school curriculum is helpful for intellectual and creative prosperity of the students. Needless to say, students trained here will have ample confidence and courage to face any examination in mathematics.
11. Whom to send Consolidated data Sheet and Proforma of Application and Examination fee:
Director,
Institute of Mathematics and Applications
5RF- ¼, Anandabazar, Unit-IX
Po-Bhoinagar, Bhubaneswar- 751022
Ph: (0674) 2542164,2540604
12. How examination will be conducted:
(a) Superintendent of the examination center is the final authority of the center.
(i) Collected exam fee, list of examinee, forms and other related paper should be reached at the Institute by 10th September 2005
(ii) After the examination is over, the answer scripts should be send to IMA personally or by post. No traveling allowances will be paid.
(b) After receiving the list of the examinees and examination fee, the name of the examination center and the Institute will send the center charges to the center superintendents.