| Science Olympiad Foundation (SOF) | |
| Formation: | 1998 |
| Founder: | Mr. Mahabir Singh |
| Type: | Nonprofit organization |
| Vat Id: | (for European organizations) --> |
| Language: | English |
| Owners: | --> |
| Sec Gen: | Mahabir Singh |
| Affiliations: | British Council, Techfest, TCS Star Sports (formerly) |
Science Olympiad Foundation (SOF) is an educational foundation, established in 1998, based in New Delhi, India which promotes science, mathematics, general knowledge, introductory computer education and English language skills among school children in India and many other countries through various Olympiads. However, they are not the official organizer of Olympiads in India.[1]
Every year over 91000+ schools from 70+ countries register for the 8 Olympiad exams and millions of students appear in them.
Annually, about 5 million students take part in each of the following Olympiad exams:
Students from classes 1 through 12 can participate. The exams consist of 35 multiple choice questions of 40 marks for classes I to IV, and 50 multiple choice questions for classes V to XII of 60 marks, to be answered in one hour. Five questions that are part of the 'Achievers' section' carry three marks (and for primary classes excluding 5th, it has only two marks) each whereas the remaining questions carry one mark each. Students are required to mark their answers on an OMR sheet. Results are announced for every student and they include the student's international rank, regional rank (since 2020-21), [3] zonal rank, city rank and school rank and winners are awarded with cash prizes, medals, trophies, gift certificates and Merit Certificates. SOF also generates a performance report for all participating students and schools, as well as awards teachers and principals whose pupils excelled in the exam.[4] SOF also runs 3 scholarship Schemes for under privileged girl students, for students from defence and internal security families and for academically brilliant students.
Although being a non-governmental organisation it works on a profit-making model and charges heavily for its books and study materials. Silver Zone Foundation, a similar 14-year-old Olympiad company, rakes in 50% of its revenues from book sales and the rest from exam registration fees (at Rs 120 per student). Close to a million kids from 5,000 schools have been sitting their Olympiads every year, claims CEO Kamal Kishore.[5]
Questions are deliberately asked from their own books which are not according to state prescribed board syllabi which compel students to buy their expensive books.
The foundation has been criticized by Anwesh Mazumdar, national coordinator, Science Olympiads from the academics at Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education saying, "It is a misrepresentation to call a competition an Olympiad if it has no culmination on the international stage." He argues that the original science Olympiads — the first was in Maths held in Romania in 1959 — pursue nobler goals of intellectual inquiry. "These companies should not call it an 'Olympiad'; call it a competition if necessary. For example, the International Mathematical Olympiad is the real deal, but Science Olympiad Foundation, a private organisation, has an exam called the International Mathematics Olympiad, parents are misled and even the international organisers are concerned," says Mazumdar, adding that they have contemplated patenting the name.[6]
There have been demands for government intervention to regulate the exams. Ashok Pandey, director at Ahlcon International School in Delhi, admits that private Olympiads need to be better regulated. "I had initially decided not to host them, but gave in when parents insisted," says Pandey.