India’s young physicists have done the country proud, delivering an extraordinary performance at the 56th International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) 2026, held in Bucaramanga, Colombia. All five members of the Indian team won Gold Medals.
India Ties for World No. 1
That performance pushed India to the World No. 1 rank, shared jointly with China, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea and Taiwan, out of 381 students from 87 countries. It’s a result that says a lot about where India now stands in science education on the world stage. The Indian medal winners are:
- Kanishk Jain – Pune, Maharashtra
- Riddhesh Anant Bendale – Indore, Madhya Pradesh
- Rishit Garg – Dwarka, New Delhi
- Shresth Suraiya – Mumbai, Maharashtra
- Svarit Joshi – Ahmedabad, Gujarat
This result adds to India’s already strong record at the International Physics Olympiad. Every single Indian participant over the last decade has finished on the podium.
The Programme Behind the Results
Much of the credit goes to the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE), a National Centre of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) and an aided institution under the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE). HBCSE is the nodal centre for India’s Olympiad programme and the country’s link to the international Olympiad community. Its job is to find, nurture and mentor exceptional talent in science and mathematics among pre-university students, and it does this through a multi-stage selection process, orientation camps and intensive training programmes.
DAE Secretary Congratulates the Team
Dr. Ajit Kumar Mohanty, Secretary of the DAE and Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, congratulated the medal winners. He said, “This phenomenal achievement by our young physicists is a matter of immense pride for the nation. Securing five Gold Medals and jointly attaining the World No. 1 rank at the International Physics Olympiad is a testament to the talent, dedication and scientific temperament of our students, as well as the unwavering commitment of the HBCSE-TIFR Olympiad programme.
I congratulate the students, their parents, teachers, and mentors for this remarkable accomplishment. Their success inspires countless young minds to pursue excellence in science and reinforces India’s growing leadership in scientific education and innovation.”
Recognising the Team Behind the Team
The Department of Atomic Energy also had words of praise for the people who prepared the students for the global stage: team leaders Prof. Anwesh Mazumdar (HBCSE-TIFR) and Dr. Leena Joshi (St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai), scientific observers Prof. Ananda Dasgupta (IISER, Kolkata) and Ms. Nisha Kelkar (Gogate-Joglekar College, Ratnagiri), and the wider Physics Olympiad team and mentor pool at HBCSE.
HBCSE Director on Decades of Groundwork
Prof. Arnab Bhattacharya, Centre Director at HBCSE, noted that Team India’s now-routine success at the Science and Mathematical Olympiads didn’t happen overnight. It’s the product of patient growth and mentoring built up over decades. There have always been talented students and dedicated mentors, he said, but it’s the Department of Atomic Energy’s sustained support over many years that has let Team India reach where it stands today.
The result at IPhO 2026 is another sign of DAE’s ongoing commitment to building scientific excellence among school students, laying the groundwork for India’s future in science and technology.
Key Takeaway: India’s outstanding performance at the 56th International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) 2026, with all five participants winning Gold Medals and the country jointly securing the World No. 1 rank alongside China, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea and Taiwan highlights the strength of the country’s science education and talent development ecosystem.
The achievement reflects the sustained efforts of the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE), a National Centre of Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) under the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), which conducts India’s Olympiad programme through rigorous selection, training and mentoring. The result reinforces India’s growing global standing in scientific education and underscores the importance of continued investment in nurturing young scientific talent and innovation.
M.C.Q.
Question 1: The 56th International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) 2026, in which India won five Gold Medals, was held in:
- A. Lima, Peru
- B. Bogotá, Colombia
- C. Bucaramanga, Colombia
- D. Santiago, Chile
Question 2: The Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE), the nodal institution for India’s Olympiad programme, is a National Centre of:
- A. Indian Institute of Science (IISc)
- B. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)
- C. Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR)
- D. Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISER)
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