India has registered a stellar performance at the 57th International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO) held in Dubai, UAE, from July 5 to 14. All four Indian students who participated in the global competition secured medals – two gold and two silver – bringing international recognition to the country. The medal winners are Devesh Pankaj Bhaiya from Jalgaon, Maharashtra, and Sandeep Kuchi from Hyderabad, Telangana, who both won gold medals. Debadatta Priyadarshi from Bhubaneshwar, Odisha, and Ujjwal Kesari from New Delhi were awarded silver medals.
This year’s Olympiad witnessed the participation of 354 students from 90 countries, including five observer nations. India ranked sixth in the overall medal tally, alongside Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Israel. This appearance marks India’s 26th participation in the IChO. Over the years, Indian students have consistently excelled, winning 30% gold, 53% silver, and 17% bronze medals. Notably, in the last ten editions alone, the proportion of gold and silver medals has increased to 38% and 58% respectively.
The Indian contingent was mentored by a dedicated team of academic experts. Prof. Ankush Gupta from Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE), Mumbai, served as the head mentor, while Prof. Seema Gupta of Acharya Narendra Dev College, Delhi, was the mentor. Dr. Neeraja Dashaputre of Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune and Dr. Amrit Mitra from Government General Degree College, Singur, West Bengal, were the scientific observers. Their efforts played a crucial role in preparing the students for this challenging competition.
HBCSE, under the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), serves as the nodal centre for training and selecting Indian students for various International Olympiads in subjects including Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Astronomy, and Astrophysics. The National Olympiad Examinations conducted by HBCSE are the primary gateway to this prestigious representation.
More information is available on the websites https://www.ichosc.org and https://olympiads.hbcse.tifr.res.in.
