17th edition of Young Astronomer Talent Search (YATS) Held at Joda

~ 4882 students from 21 schools of Keonjhar district took part

~ Final event on December 13

Joda: The 17th edition of Young Astronomer Talent Search (YATS) was organised by Tata Steel, at Joda.

As many as 4882 students from 21 schools of the district took part in the event which was conducted in collaboration with Pathani Samanta Planetarium, Bhubaneswar.

The major schools from Joda and nearby areas, which participated in the event include Tata DAV School, Joda, Saraswati Sishu Vidya Mandir, Joda, Kerala English Medium School, Champua, OVS, Jhumpura, Govt Girls’ High School, Keonjhar and DN High School, Keonjhar.

This unique platform enables Odisha’s school students to showcase their talent and interest in space science, astrophysics, and astronomy. It also helps them learn about the legacy of Pathani Samanta, the legendary Odia-astronomer.

This year, YATS was offered in two modes of participation: physical and virtual.

The finalists will compete in the final round of competitions at the Pathani Samanta Planetarium, Bhubaneswar, on December 13, 2023. This date coincides with the birth anniversary of the renowned Odia astronomer Mahamahopadhyaya Chandrasekhara Singha Harichandana Mahapatra Samanta, also known as Pathani Samanata.

The theme of YATS 2023 is “The Moon Base – Future Launchpad for Space”.

An open quiz for students of classes 6 to 8, conducted physically in schools and a multiple-choice question (MCQ) assessment for students of classes 9 and 10, conducted in schools and online.

The selected participants from each district of Odisha will be invited to the grand finale in Bhubaneswar on December 13, 2023. The winners will be declared and awarded on the same day.


YATS has been inspiring young minds to explore the wonders of space science for the last 16 years. The winning students of the 16th edition of YATS had visited the Space Application Centre (SAC) of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in Ahmedabad, in the first week of June, 2023 and had the opportunity to interact with ace space scientists of the centre including its director.