India tops International Physics Olympiad with five gold medals
New Delhi, July 12 (TNT): India secured the joint top position at the 56th International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) 2026 in Colombia, with all five members of its team winning gold medals.
India shared the World No. 1 rank with China, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea and Taiwan at the competition, which saw participation from 381 students representing 87 countries.
The Indian gold medallists are Kanishk Jain (Pune), Riddhesh Anant Bendale (Indore), Rishit Garg (New Delhi), Shresth Suraiya (Mumbai) and Svarit Joshi (Ahmedabad).
The achievement extends India’s consistent performance at the International Physics Olympiad, with every Indian participant over the past decade securing a medal.
In a release, the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) said the performance reflected the strength of the country’s Olympiad programme conducted by the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE), a national centre of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR).
HBCSE is the nodal agency for identifying, training and mentoring Indian students for international science Olympiads.
Congratulating the team, DAE Secretary and Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Ajit Kumar Mohanty said the achievement underscored the scientific talent of Indian students and the sustained efforts of the HBCSE-TIFR Olympiad programme.
The department also congratulated team leaders Prof. Anwesh Mazumdar of HBCSE-TIFR and Dr. Leena Joshi of St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, along with the scientific observers and mentors associated with the Olympiad programme.
HBCSE Director Prof. Arnab Bhattacharya said India’s consistent success in international science Olympiads was the result of decades of sustained mentoring and institutional support from the Department of Atomic Energy.
The DAE said the performance reaffirmed its commitment to nurturing scientific talent among school students and strengthening India’s future scientific and technological capabilities.
TNT KS
