Four students from Pune and Mumbai have been recognised with a Meritorious Award at the 2026 International Mathematical Modelling Challenge. This accolade was for their innovative approach to addressing wildlife protection within a massive national park using mathematical concepts. The students – Tanish Rajesh Kulkarni, Anshveer Bindra, Nipun Saha, and Vedansh Saha – represented the India STEM Society and were among 68 finalist teams from 37 countries.

Innovative Approach to Conservation Challenges

The challenge for this year focused on “Protecting Wildlife at Scale” with Namibia’s Etosha National Park as the case study. Instead of merely solving mathematical equations, the participants created models to optimise the deployment of limited conservation resources. The Indian team analysed various factors, including wildlife significance, waterhole distribution, habitat interconnectivity, and the threats posed by poaching, wildfires, and human-wildlife interaction.

The students proposed a strategic allocation of resources such as rangers, drones, camera traps, and satellite coverage to enhance protection measures within the park. Their presentation emphasised the complexities involved in ensuring comprehensive surveillance of a large wildlife reserve, which is often impractical due to the constraints on resources.

Etosha National Park, covering approximately 22,935 square kilometres, is home to endangered black rhinos and over 114 mammal species, yet has limited staff and infrastructure to manage its vast expanse. The park employs 295 staff members, features an 850-kilometre fence, and provides access through 3,551 kilometres of roads. The students therefore developed optimisation models addressing three critical threats to the ecosystem.

Details of the Team and Their Project

The team was led by Tanish Rajesh Kulkarni, a Grade 11 student from Bharati Vidyapeeth Rabindranath Tagore School of Excellence in Pune, alongside Anshveer Bindra, a Grade 12 student at Oberoi International School in Mumbai. The Saha brothers, both from Dhirubhai Ambani International School in Mumbai, completed the team, with Nipun in Grade 11 and Vedansh in Grade 12.

Their research was supervised by Dr Sagar Shrivastava, a postdoctoral researcher at Iowa State University. The students’ model targeted poaching, wildfires, and human-wildlife conflict, while considering ecological parameters such as species priority and access to waterholes.

The result was a plan proposing the deployment of 104 rangers, 211 drones, and 468 camera traps alongside satellite coverage, effectively addressing 92.3 per cent of the park’s ecologically significant areas. Moreover, their calculations indicated a potential 40.3 per cent reduction in discounted conservation loss as opposed to scenarios without intervention, showcasing the effectiveness of their mathematical modelling approach.

Acknowledgment on the Global Stage

The International Mathematical Modelling Challenge is a prestigious competition aimed at secondary school students, encouraging them to apply mathematical theories to real-world issues. The 2026 event brought together diverse teams from around the globe, with the international finals held over a five-day period from February to April.

The Meritorious Award earned by the Indian team places them among the distinguished competitors of this year’s challenge. As part of their recognition, the students attended the International Summit and Awards Ceremony in Boston, held from August 5 to 9. This achievement illustrates the transformative potential of mathematical modelling in addressing complex problems beyond the classroom environment.

Long or Short, get news the way you like. No ads. No redirections. Download Newspin and Stay Alert, The CSR Journal Mobile app, for fast, crisp, clean updates!

App Store –  https://apps.apple.com/in/app/newspin/id6746449540 

Google Play Store – https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.inventifweb.newspin&pcampaignid=web_share