NEW DELHI — Prime Minister Narendra Modi has extended his warmest congratulations to the Indian student contingent for their historic performance at the 56th International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) 2026 in Bucaramanga, Colombia. Achieving a flawless 100% success rate, all five members of the national team secured individual Gold Medals, propelling India to the joint World No. 1 rank on the global leaderboard.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the Prime Minister hailed the achievement as a stellar manifestation of the country’s youth power (Yuva Shakti) and its growing momentum in foundational science and research.
Prime Minister Praises “Limitless Potential” of Yuva Shakti
In his official statement, Prime Minister Modi emphasized that the victory underscores India’s rising capabilities on the international academic stage, noting a sustained trend of high performance over the past ten years.
The Prime Minister wrote on X:
“An outstanding performance by our youngsters! Congratulations to the Indian contingent of Kanishk Jain, Riddhesh Anant Bendale, Rishit Garg, Shresth Suraiya and Svarit Joshi for winning Gold Medals at the 56th International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) 2026 held in Bucaramanga, Colombia. Their feat reflects yet another example of the limitless potential of our Yuva Shakti and their passion towards science and research. Equally commendable is the fact that in the last decade, our students have performed exceptionally well in the various editions of this platform.”
The Historic Gold Sweep & Global Standings
Competing against 381 pre-university students representing 87 nations, the Indian delegation’s performance placed them at the top of the absolute team standings alongside global science powerhouses:
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Joint World No. 1 Countries: India, China, Russia, South Korea, Kazakhstan, and Taiwan.
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A Decade of Elite Performance: This gold sweep continues an exceptional streak for the country. Over the last decade, the Indian contingent has consistently ranked among the top performers, maintaining a decorated record at the prestigious global platform.
Meet India’s Brilliant Young Physicists
The five gold medalists represent diverse academic hubs across the country, having advanced through a rigorous multi-stage national filtering process to represent India internationally:
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Kanishk Jain (Pune, Maharashtra)
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Riddhesh Anant Bendale (Indore, Madhya Pradesh)
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Rishit Garg (Dwarka, New Delhi)
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Shresth Suraiya (Mumbai, Maharashtra)
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Svarit Joshi (Ahmedabad, Gujarat)
Behind the Achievement: The rigorous preparation and selection process for the Indian contingent was mentored by the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE) in Mumbai, a national center of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR). The IPhO assessment involves a grueling ten-hour examination, split evenly between highly advanced theoretical physics problems and complex experimental laboratory challenges.
