India’s young scientific minds have once again brought pride to the country, winning five medals at the 55th International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) 2025 held in Paris from July 18 to 24. The Indian team won three gold medals and two silver medals, sharing the fifth position in the overall medal tally.
The event saw participation from 415 students representing 87 countries. India’s gold medal winners are Kanishk Jain from Pune (Maharashtra), Snehil Jha from Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh), and Riddhesh Anant Bendale from Indore (Madhya Pradesh). The silver medals were secured by Aagam Jignesh Shah from Surat (Gujarat) and Rajit Gupta from Kota (Rajasthan).
India stood alongside Taiwan, Japan, and Russia in the fifth spot in the medal rankings. The United States topped the table with five gold medals. China, South Korea, and Hong Kong shared second place, each with four golds and one silver.
The Indian team was guided by Prof Sitikantha Das from IIT Kharagpur and Vinayak Katdare, retired faculty from DG Ruparel College, Mumbai. Scientific observers Dr Amruta Sadhu from St Xavier’s College, Mumbai, and Dr Vivek Lohani from Robert Bosch GmbH, Germany, also supported the team.
India has a strong record at the IPhO, with 42 percent of Indian participants historically winning gold and another 42 percent securing silver. In the last 10 years, every Indian participant has won a medal, showing a consistent level of high performance.
India’s strong performance at Chemistry Olympiad
India also registered an impressive performance at the 57th International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO) 2025 held in Dubai from July 5 to 14. All four Indian students competing at the global event won medals—two gold and two silver.
Gold medals were won by Devesh Pankaj Bhaiya from Jalgaon (Maharashtra) and Sandeep Kuchi from Hyderabad (Telangana). Silver medals went to Debadatta Priyadarshi from Bhubaneshwar (Odisha) and Ujjwal Kesari from New Delhi. India ranked sixth overall among 90 countries.
The team was mentored by Prof Ankush Gupta from HBCSE, Mumbai, and Prof Seema Gupta from Acharya Narendra Dev College, Delhi. Scientific support was provided by Dr Neeraja Dashaputre from IISER Pune and Dr Amrit Mitra from Government General Degree College, Singur.
This year marks India’s 26th participation in the IChO. Historically, Indian students have won 30 percent gold and 53 percent silver medals. In the last 10 years, gold and silver wins have risen to 38 and 58 percent respectively.
Both teams were trained and selected by the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE) under TIFR, with support from various government departments and academic organisations.
