By adbnu564 
Indian Scientists Divided Over Israel Ban at Astronomy Olympiad
India’s scientific community is facing a sharp divide after the International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA) announced that Israel will not be allowed to take part in the event from 2026 onwards.
The Olympiad, held in Mumbai this year from August 11 to 21, brought together high school students from 63 countries along with their scientist mentors.
Before the competition, over 500 scientists and academics signed a petition asking the IOAA to stop Israel’s official participation. They argued that Israel’s actions in Gaza, which have killed more than 60,000 Palestinians including thousands of children, made it wrong for the country to compete under its national flag. The petition suggested that Israeli students could still participate as individuals, but not as a national team.
This move led to a strong response from another group of about 300 Indian scientists. They wrote to the Prime Minister, calling the ban unfair and politically motivated. They also warned that it could harm India’s image in the global scientific community.
The issue has now created a serious split among Indian scientists, showing how global political conflicts are increasingly influencing academic and scientific events.