Ask a young Indian to name Virat Kohli, Neeraj Chopra or PV Sindhu, and the answer comes immediately. But ask the same student about Kanishk Jain, Riddhesh Anant Bendale, Rishit Garg, Shresth Suraiya or Svarit Joshi, and chances are you’ll be silent.However, these five students have achieved something that should be celebrated across the country.Representing India at the 56th International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) 2026 in Bucaramanga, Colombia, all five returned home with gold medals, helping India complete the World No. This is only the second time that India has bagged five gold medals in the prestigious tournament.
“This is not another competitive exam”
Reflecting on India’s remarkable performance, product manager and former JEE Physics teacher Malay Krishna explained why this success is different from the test most Indian students are familiar with.“I taught JEE Physics for many years. That paper crushes strong kids in 3 hours,” he wrote on X.“But the test is five hours of theory and five hours of lab work, and these five were very successful.”His work has touched thousands of people because it explains what makes the International Physics Olympiad one of the most challenging competitions in the world.Unlike entrance exams that usually test speed and familiarity with questions, the Olympiad requires early thinking. Students spend five hours solving advanced science problems before entering another five-hour lab test where they are expected to design experiments, analyze data, make assumptions and reach scientific conclusions using unusual laboratory equipment.As Malay Krishna said, “You either understand physics or you sit there for five hours.”
Five students who made history
This year’s Indian team was:• Kanishk Jain from Pune • Riddhesh Anant Bendale from Indore • Rishit Garg from Dwarka, Delhi• Shresh Suraiya from Mumbai • Svarit Joshi from AhmedabadCompeting against 381 students from over 85 countries, every member of the Indian team won a gold medal.According to the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), this achievement shows the strength of India’s Olympiad program, which is managed by the Homi Bhabha Center for Science Education (HBCSE), and the National Center of Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR).The program identifies talented students through a series of tests of each type before entering them into a rigorous boot camp that ultimately produces the final five-member team in India.
Behind every medal are years of scientific thought
Malay Krishna highlighted something that is often overlooked in competitive exam discussions.He said that while educational institutions have been very good at preparing students for well-known questions, Olympiad competitions require a completely different skill – to imagine problems that students have never faced before.“There is no short title. No short paper will save you,” he wrote.This ability, he argued, had been quietly nurtured over the years through India’s state-sponsored Olympiad culture.India’s consistency supports that claim. This was the country’s 27th appearance at the International Physics Olympiad. Over the past decade, every Indian has returned with a medal, and many have won gold.The success, however, also raises a larger question about the development of scientific expertise. Malay Krishna pointed out that while most of India’s Olympiad medalists go on to do doctoral research, many end up working abroad.“They have earned everything they have,” he wrote, adding that India has been very successful in identifying and teaching scientific talent. The next challenge, he said, is to create opportunities that encourage many to continue their work in the country.For now, however, the spotlight is on five young scientists who have quietly done something very special.Their names may not be household names, but their success has put India alongside the world’s best in the world’s toughest scientific competition. And perhaps that is reason enough for every student—and every parent—to remember them.Disclaimer: This article is based on publicly available information, official announcements and statements shared on LinkedIn by the person involved. The quote is reproduced from his publicly available website for his purposes.