**Executive Summary**
India achieved historic success at the 56th International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) 2026, held in Bucaramanga, Colombia, from July 5 to July 12, 2026. All five participating Indian students secured gold medals, placing India at the joint first position in the country-wise medal tally. This performance marks the second time in India's 27-year participation history that the entire team has won gold medals.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Medal Tally and Rankings**
* India secured five gold medals, achieving a joint first-place ranking with China, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, and Taiwan.
* A total of 381 students from 85 countries participated, with 51 gold, 80 silver, and 97 bronze medals awarded globally.
* This is the second time India has achieved a "five gold medal" sweep, the first being in 2018.
**Award Recipients**
* **Kanishk Jain:** Gold (Pune, Maharashtra)
* **Riddhesh Anant Bendale:** Gold (Indore, Madhya Pradesh)
* **Rishit Garg:** Gold (Dwarka, New Delhi)
* **Shresth Suraiya:** Gold (Mumbai, Maharashtra)
* **Svarit Joshi:** Gold (Ahmedabad, Gujarat)
**Examination Structure**
* **Theoretical Component:** A 5-hour exam featuring three problems on topics including paramagnetic cooling, light reflection (caustics and cusps), photoionization of ozone, and electron-positron pairs.
* **Experimental Component:** A 5-hour session focused on thermodynamic processes in fluids and heat transfer.
* **Performance:** Indian students nearly achieved perfect scores in the theoretical section and performed remarkably well in the experimental component.
**Organizational and Academic Support**
* The team was led by Prof. Anwesh Mazumdar (HBCSE-TIFR) and Dr. Leena Joshi (St. Xavier's College), with scientific observers Prof. Ananda Dasgupta and Ms. Nisha Kelkar.
* Training was conducted by the Physics Olympiad cell and a resource pool of mentors during orientation and pre-departure camps at HBCSE.
* The program received continued support and funding from the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), Department of Science and Technology (DST), and the Ministry of Education (MoE).
**Historical Context**
* In 27 years of participation, approximately 44% of Indian participants have won gold medals.
* In the last decade, 100% of Indian participants have won either gold (62%) or silver (38%) medals.
**Impact Analysis**
**Participating Students**
**Impact**
The five students achieved international recognition as gold medalists, placing them among the top physics students globally.
**Action Required**
The students have successfully completed the competition and received their awards; no further action is specified in the document.
**Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE)**
**Impact**
The institution’s training and orientation camps were validated by the team’s perfect gold medal record.
**Action Required**
Continue to coordinate training via the Physics Olympiad cell and utilize the resource pool of external teachers for future competitions.
**Government Funding Agencies (DAE, DST, MoE)**
**Impact**
Their financial and structural support enabled the showcase of Indian talent on an international stage, resulting in a top-tier national ranking.
**Action Required**
Maintain continued support for the Olympiad programme to facilitate future participation and talent development.
Key Entities Referenced
56th International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) 2026: The international scientific competition held in Colombia where all five participating Indian students won gold medals, placing India at the top of the country-wise tally.
Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE): The nodal institution responsible for training Indian students through orientation and pre-departure camps and providing academic leadership for the Olympiad.
National Steering Committee on Science Olympiads: The oversight body that, along with government funding agencies, supports the Olympiad program to showcase Indian scientific talent internationally.
Bucaramanga, Colombia: The host location for the 56th International Physics Olympiad where the competition took place in July 2026.
Department of Atomic Energy (DAE): A primary funding and administrative department of the Government of India that supports the national science Olympiad initiatives.
Department of Atomic Energy
All five Indian students bag gold medals at the
International Physics Olympiad 2026, at
Bucaramanga, Colombia
प्रव तथ: 12 JUL 2026 2:33PM by PIB Mumbai
July 12, 2026
India excelled at the 56th International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) 2026, held in
Bucaramanga, Colombia from July 05 to July 12, 2026. All five Indian students
bagged Gold medals. The students were:
1. Kanishk Jain (GOLD) from Pune, Maharashtra
2. Riddhesh Anant Bendale (GOLD) from Indore, Madhya Pradesh
3. Rishit Garg (GOLD) from Dwarka, New Delhi
4. Shresth Suraiya (GOLD) from Mumbai, Maharashtra
5. Svarit Joshi (GOLD) from Ahmedabad, Gujarat
There were two leaders from India were Prof. Anwesh Mazumdar (HBCSE - TIFR,
Mumbai) and Dr. Leena Joshi (St. Xavier's College, Mumbai), and two Scientific. The
Observers were Prof. Ananda Dasgupta (Indian Institute of Science Education and
Research Kolkata), and Ms. Nisha Kelkar (Gogate-Joglekar College, Ratnagiri).
In the country-wise medals tally, India was placed at the first position, jointly with
China, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, and Taiwan. The special prize for overall
winner went to a South Korean student; the award for best in the experimental
component went to a student from Iran. In all, 51 gold, 80 silver, and 97 bronze
medals were awarded. A total of 381 students from 85 countries participated in the
competition. This is the second time that India has won five gold medals in IPhO,
the other occasion being in 2018.
The 5-hour theoretical competition featured three problems based on diverse
topics like the thermodynamics of paramagnetic cooling, caustics and cusps in light
reflected in a coffee cup, photoionization of ozone, and dynamics of electron-
positron pairs. All the Indian students
excelled in the theoretical examination, some reaching close to perfect scores. The
experimental competition, also of 5 hours, challenged students to explore several
phenomena related to thermodynamic processes in fluids and heat transfer. The
Indian students also performed remarkably well in the experimental component.
The Physics Olympiad cell and the resource pool of external teachers and
mentors trained the students during the orientation and pre-departure camps at
HBCSE.The National Steering Committee on Science Olympiads, teacher organisations and
the funding agencies of the Govt. of India (DAE, DST, MoE) have provided continued
strong support of the Olympiad programme which enables us to showcase Indian
talent on the international arena.
This was India's 27th appearance at the IPhO. In all these years, nearly 44%
Indian students have won gold medals, another 41% silver, 10% bronze, and 5%
honourable mentions. In the last ten years, all Indian students at IPhO have won
either gold (62%) or silver (38%) medals.
***
Sriyanka Chattarjee/Parshuram Kor
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