India achieved a remarkable sweep at the 56th International Physics Olympiad 2026 held in Bucaramanga, Colombia, with all five Indian students winning Gold Medals. This performance secured India the joint World No. 1 rank alongside China, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, and Taiwan among 381 students from 87 countries. The medal winners were Kanishk Jain from Pune, Maharashtra; Riddhesh Anant Bendale from Indore, Madhya Pradesh; Rishit Garg from Dwarka, New Delhi; Shresth Suraiya from Mumbai, Maharashtra; and Svarit Joshi from Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
This achievement continues India's decade-long streak of every Indian participant securing a podium finish at the International Physics Olympiad. The success is attributed to India's Olympiad programme spearheaded by the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE), a National Centre of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), which is an aided institution under the Department of Atomic Energy. HBCSE serves as the nodal center for identifying, nurturing, and mentoring exceptional science and mathematics talent through a rigorous multi-stage selection process and intensive training programs.
Dr. Ajit Kumar Mohanty, Secretary of the Department of Atomic Energy and Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, congratulated the medal winners, highlighting this achievement as a testament to the talent and dedication of Indian students and the commitment of the HBCSE-TIFR Olympiad programme. The department also acknowledged the 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 entire Physics Olympiad Team and mentor pool at HBCSE for their dedication.
Prof. Arnab Bhattacharya, Centre Director of HBCSE, emphasized that these routine achievements result from decades of patient growth and mentoring, supported by the Department of Atomic Energy's unwavering commitment. The performance demonstrates DAE's continued dedication to fostering scientific excellence among school students and building a foundation for India's future scientific and technological leadership.