
India’s four-member student delegation to the 57th International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO) 2025 has returned with two gold and two silver medals. The competition was held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from July 5 to 14, and featured participation from 354 students representing 90 countries, along with five observer nations. This marks India’s 26th appearance at the IChO.
The gold medal winners from India are Devesh Pankaj Bhaiya from Jalgaon, Maharashtra, and Sandeep Kuchi from Hyderabad, Telangana. Debadatta Priyadarshi from Bhubaneshwar, Odisha, and Ujjwal Kesari from New Delhi earned silver medals, as per a press statement. With this performance, India secured the sixth position in the overall medal tally, along with countries such as Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Israel.
The Indian team was selected and trained by the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE), Mumbai, under the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR). HBCSE functions as the nodal centre for the selection and preparation of students for international Olympiads across multiple subjects. For the Chemistry Olympiad, students were shortlisted through the National Olympiad Examinations conducted by HBCSE.
The mentoring team for IChO 2025 included Prof Ankush Gupta (Head Mentor, HBCSE), Prof Seema Gupta (Mentor, Acharya Narendra Dev College, Delhi), and Scientific Observers Dr Neeraja Dashaputre (IISER Pune) and Dr Amrit Mitra (Government General Degree College, Singur, West Bengal).
The students underwent intensive training, including orientation and pre-departure camps at HBCSE.
India has maintained a steady record of high performance at IChO since its first participation. Historically, Indian participants have won 30% gold, 53% silver, and 17% bronze medals. Over the last 10 editions of IChO, there has been an increase in higher-tier achievements, with 38% gold and 58% silver medals.
The Indian participation at IChO is supported by the National Steering Committee on Science Olympiads and facilitated by several government agencies. These include the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), Department of Science and Technology (DST), Department of Space (DOS), and the Ministry of Education (MoE). Their continued funding and policy support enable India’s engagement with international science competitions.
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