Kavadichanda Nruthya Madappa, a 12th standard student at National Public School Indiranagar, was one of the four students selected to represent India at the International Science School (ISS) at Sydney held between July 1 and July 14, 2007.
This was the first representation of India in this event which has been taking place once in two years ever since 1962.
Nruthya is a Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana (KVPY) scholar. This is a scholarship that is conferred upon 90 outstanding students across the country to encourage them to take up pure science in the future.  Through this scheme, she was contacted by the Raman Research Institute, Bangalore about the ISS programme. A team of four including Nruthya and another Bangalorean - Vinayak Tirakaraddi, of Deeksha Centre of Learning, was finally selected.
The Professor Harry Messel International Science School (ISS) is the flagship of the Science Foundation for Physics, with a forty-five-year history and a reputation as the best programme of its kind in the world. ISS scholars attend lectures by leading scientists from Australia and overseas, on topics ranging from alternative energy sources to extinction ecology, from the Arctic to the Antarctic, from the sleuthing properties of nuclear physics to the mysterious dark matter and energy that comprises 90% of the Universe
The two weeks at the ISS is also a chance to mix with like-minded students from different backgrounds and cultures. The students come from all states and territories of Australia, and from several other countries.
At the ISS, Nruthya bagged the coveted Len Basser Scientific Leadership Award. She says, For the Len Basser award, I had to do nothing but be myself. I was aware that an award was to be given at the end of the camp, but I was absolutely unsure of how to go about getting it.”
“The award was given on the basis of a vote taken from the staff members. They observe each and every member of the ISS. The behaviour of every student with his peers, his ability to ask questions, his scientific intuition, his ability to encourage scientific thinking in others, his social abilities and a lot more aspects are keenly observed. On the basis of their observations, the Len Basser award is finally given to the person they believe fits the mould.”
On her experience, she says, “It was immensely humbling that the people at Australia thought me deserving of this coveted prize. The prize is extremely special to me as this was the very first year that India was represented at this fantastic event, and we came back with the award!”
“It was the most exhilarating experience of my life. One that has taught me much and will always guide my actions in various facets of my life.”
 DHNS