Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday congratulated Indian contingent on achieving a historic milestone at the 56th International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) 2026 in Bucaramanga, Colombia, with all five members of the national contingent winning Gold Medals and the country jointly securing the World No. 1 rank alongside China, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea and Taiwan.
Competing against 381 students from 87 countries, the Indian team delivered one of the country’s finest performances at the prestigious global competition, further strengthening India’s reputation for excellence in science education.
In a post on X, PM Modi said, “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,” he added.
The gold medal winners are 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.
The latest triumph extends India’s remarkable record at the Olympiad, with every Indian participant over the last ten years securing a podium finish.
The achievement underscores the strength of India’s Olympiad programme, led by the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE), a National Centre of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) functioning under the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE). As the country’s nodal agency for international science Olympiads, HBCSE identifies, mentors and trains talented pre-university students through a rigorous multi-stage selection process, orientation camps and intensive training programmes.
