Indian Students Shine with Four Medals at 57th International Chemistry Olympiad in Dubai

India has posted a brilliant performance at the 57th International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO) in Dubai, UAE, from July 5 to July 14. Four Indian students who participated in the international competition all bagged medals – two of them being gold and two silver – with the nation receiving global recognition. The medalists are Devesh Pankaj Bhaiya from Jalgaon, Maharashtra, and Sandeep Kuchi from Hyderabad, Telangana, who both secured gold medals. Debadatta Priyadarshi from Bhubaneshwar, Odisha, and Ujjwal Kesari from New Delhi were awarded silver medals.

The Olympiad this year featured the presence of 354 students from 90 nations, including five observer states. India ranked sixth in the total medal count, along with Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Israel. This appearance is India’s 26th at the IChO. Indian pupils have performed year by year, securing 30% gold, 53% silver, and 17% bronze medals. Interestingly, in the past ten editions alone, the percentage of gold and silver medals has increased to 38% and 58% respectively.

The Indian team was led by a core group of academic experts. The head mentor was Prof. Ankush Gupta of Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE), Mumbai, and the mentor was Prof. Seema Gupta of Acharya Narendra Dev College, Delhi. Dr. Neeraja Dashaputre of Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune and Dr. Amrit Mitra of Government General Degree College, Singur, West Bengal, were the scientific observers. Their effort was crucial in preparing the students for this tough competition.

HBCSE, an unit of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), is the nodal center of training and selection of Indian students for various International Olympiads in subjects such as Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Astronomy, and Astrophysics. The National Olympiad Examinations conducted by HBCSE are the entry point for this select representation.