About the Olympiad
The Panini Linguistics Olympiad (PLO) is India's national-level programme for selecting and training students who may go on to represent India at the International Linguistics Olympiad (IOL).
PLO is designed for curious students who enjoy solving puzzles, identifying patterns and thinking logically. The competition uses language-based problems to develop problem-solving, computational thinking and an appreciation of linguistic diversity.
Eligibility Criteria
The PLO 2027 competition is open to students in:
- Grades 6, 7 and 8 – Junior Contest
- Grades 9, 10, 11 and 12 – Senior Contest
Students who have already attended an Invitational Round Camp in a previous year can participate only in the Senior Contest.
Students who have completed Class 12 are not eligible to register.
Competition Format
PLO 2027 has two major selection rounds.
Round 1 – National-Level Examination
Round 1 is open to registered eligible students across India.
The examination will be conducted at designated centres across India.
Date: 29 November 2026
The top-performing students from Round 1 will be invited to participate in Round 2.
Round 2 – Invitational Camp
Selected students from Round 1 will participate in an Invitational Camp in Hyderabad.
The camp provides students with exposure to linguistics and training in solving Olympiad-style problems.
Expected period: May–June 2027
Selection for International Linguistics Olympiad
Top performers from Round 2 will be considered for selection to Team India for the International Linguistics Olympiad.
For PLO 2027, the top four students from Round 2 will be selected to represent the country as Team India 1 at the IOL, subject to the applicable selection regulations.
Journey to the International Linguistics Olympiad
The PLO provides a pathway from a national-level competition to an international Olympiad:
Round 1 → Invitational Camp → Team Selection → International Linguistics Olympiad
The International Linguistics Olympiad 2027 (IOL 2027) is scheduled to take place in Thailand from 21–28 July 2027. Selected students will represent India and compete internationally.
Registration Fee
Regular Track
For students whose school education is in English and who do not qualify for the Access Track:
₹1,180
(₹1,000 + 18% GST)
Access Track
The reduced-fee Access Track is available to eligible:
- Students studying in an Indian regional-language medium
- English-medium students whose annual family income is below ₹6 lakh
- Students currently enrolled in Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs)
Fee: ₹354
(₹300 + 18% GST)
Group Registration
Schools can register students as a group with a minimum of 10 participants.
Discounts on the base registration fee are available depending on the group size:
- 10–20 students: 10% discount
- 21–30 students: 12% discount
- 31–50 students: 15% discount
- More than 50 students: 20% discount
GST is charged additionally, and registration fees are non-refundable.
Important Dates
|
Event |
Date |
|
Round 1 Registration Opens |
19 September 2026 |
|
Round 1 Registration Closes |
31 October 2026 |
|
Round 1 Examination |
29 November 2026 |
|
Round 1 Results |
15 January 2027 |
|
Invitational Camp |
May–June 2027 |
|
International Linguistics Olympiad 2027 |
21–28 July 2027 |
How to Apply
- Check your eligibility for the Junior or Senior category.
- Select the appropriate registration track.
- Complete the online registration form. https://ltrc.iiit.ac.in/plo/registration.html
- Upload the required student/school identification documents.
- Pay the applicable registration fee.
- Appear for the Round 1 examination at the designated centre.
- Students selected from Round 1 proceed to the Invitational Camp and subsequent selection process.
All registration tracks require a valid student ID. Additional documents are required for students applying under the Access Track.
Preparation for PLO
Students do not require specialised prior knowledge of linguistics to begin preparing.
They can:
- Practise previous PLO problems
- Work on logic and pattern-recognition puzzles
- Learn to identify structures in unfamiliar languages
- Develop systematic problem-solving approaches
- Practise explaining their reasoning step-by-step
The official PLO website provides practice problems and resources for students.
Who Should Participate?
PLO can be particularly interesting for students who enjoy:
- Puzzles and logical reasoning
- Mathematics and problem-solving
- Languages and grammar
- Computer Science
- Artificial Intelligence
- Computational Linguistics
- Pattern recognition
- Analytical challenges
- Olympiad-style competitions
Students do not need to be studying a particular academic stream to participate.
Benefits of Participation
Students can gain experience in:
- Advanced logical reasoning
- Linguistic problem-solving
- Computational thinking
- Research-oriented thinking
- Analysing unfamiliar data
- Understanding language structures
- National-level academic competition
For students eventually selected for the international team, the programme also provides an opportunity to represent India at the International Linguistics Olympiad.
Registration Link
https://ltrc.iiit.ac.in/plo/registration.html
Official Website:
https://ltrc.iiit.ac.in/plo/index.html
