18th Edition of Young Astronomer Talent Search (YATS) launched by Hon’ble Minister of Science & Technology, Odisha

~ YATS is organised by Tata Steel in association with Pathani Samanta Planetarium, operating under Science and Technology Department~

Bhubaneswar, August 27, 2024: The 18^th edition of the Young Astronomer Talent Search (YATS), organised by Tata Steel, in collaboration with Pathani Samanta Planetarium, Bhubaneswar, operating under the Science and Technology Department, Government of Odisha, was officially launched at the Odisha State Secretariat by Shri Krushna Chandra Patra, Hon’ble Minister of Science & Technology and Food Supplies & Consumer Welfare, Government of Odisha.

YATS is a unique platform for Odisha’s school students of classes 6 to 10 to showcase their talent in space science, astrophysics, and astronomy, and also learn about the legacy of Pathani Samanta, the legendary Odia astronomer.

Expressing his delight while launching the event, Hon’ble Minister said, “I wish the 18^th edition of Young Astronomer Talent Search all success. I hope a greater number of students, particularly from interior parts of Odisha will participate in it and know about the contribution of acclaimed Odia scientist Pathani Samanta to the field of astronomy.”

Shri Prasanna Kumar Patra, Director, Pathani Samanta Planetarium, Smt Sibani Mohanty, Additional Secretary, and Smt Urmiprava Maharana, Deputy Secretary from the Science and Technology department, Dr Jaydev Kar, Planetarium Engineer, Government of Odisha and Shri Debasish Jena, Chief Resident Executive, Tata Steel, were present at the launching ceremony.

Shri Debasish Jena emphasised the Company’s commitment to making YATS more inclusive and accessible across Odisha, particularly by expanding participation through both physical and virtual modes. He reiterated Tata Steel’s dedication to enhancing the programme, aiming to inspire more young talent and foster a deep interest in space science.

This year, YATS will offer two modes of participation: physical and virtual. Students can either take part in the test at their schools or online through the YATS website.  (https://www.tatasteel.com/careers/campus-connect/tata-steel-young-astronomer-talent-search/). They need to register on the site to participate virtually.

The theme of YATS 2024 is “Will space be your next travel destination?”, and it will include an open quiz for students of classes 6 to 8, and a multiple-choice question (MCQ) assessment for students of classes 9 and 10. Selected participants from each district of Odisha will be invited to the final round of competitions at the Pathani Samanta Planetarium, Bhubaneswar, on December 13, 2024. This date coincides with the birth anniversary of the renowned Odia astronomer Mahamahopadhyaya Chandrasekhara Singha Harichandana Mahapatra Samanta, also known as Pathani Samanta.

For the past 17 years, YATS has been inspiring young minds to explore the wonders of space science. The winning students of the 17^th edition of YATS had the privilege to visit the Space Application Centre (SAC) and interact with ace space scientists of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in Ahmedabad in the last week of June 2024.