International Linguistic Olympiad Board

The IOL Board is the official governing body responsible for the coordination, administration, and regulation of the International Linguistics Olympiad (IOL). Supported by the Problem Committee, which designs the linguistic challenges, the IOL is an annual global competition established in 2003 for secondary school students. Hosted each summer in a different country, the IOL presents participants with self-contained language puzzles that require logical reasoning, linguistic analysis, and creative thinking. No prior knowledge of specific languages or linguistics is needed, making it accessible to a wide range of students. By promoting cross-cultural understanding and analytical skills, the IOL contributes to the global growth of linguistic education and stands as one of the prestigious International Science Olympiads. India has been an active participant since 2009, sending 92 students in 23 teams across 15 editions. Indian teams have achieved notable success, winning 31 medals (4 gold, 9 silver, 18 bronze), 1 bronze trophy, 9 best-solution prizes, and 16 honorable mentions. The Panini Linguistics Olympiad (PLO), coordinated by IIIT Hyderabad, Microsoft Research Labs India, JNU Delhi, and the University of Mumbai, serves as the national selection process for the Indian IOL team.