While cricket scores and Olympic wins light up our feeds, four young minds quietly brought India global glory in science and barely made the news. At the 57th International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO) held in Dubai from July 5 to 14, India bagged 2 gold and 2 silver medals, securing the 6th position among 90 participating countries.
The team of four was made up of:
Devesh Pankaj Bhaiya from Jalgaon – Gold
Sandeep Kuchi from Hyderabad – Gold
Debadatta Priyadarshi from Bhubaneshwar – Silver
Ujjwal Kesari from New Delhi – Silver
These students competed against 354 participants from 90 nations and proved themselves with sharp thinking, deep scientific understanding, and months of hard work. Yet, their achievement has mostly gone unnoticed beyond academic circles.
The Indian team was guided and trained by a dedicated group of mentors:
Prof. Ankush Gupta, Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE), Mumbai – Head Mentor
Prof. Seema Gupta, Acharya Narendra Dev College, Delhi – Mentor
Dr. Neeraja Dashaputre, IISER Pune – Scientific Observer
Dr. Amrit Mitra, Government General Degree College, Singur – Scientific Observer
All training and selection were coordinated by HBCSE, under the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR). This centre has been the backbone of India’s Olympiad success for years, conducting tough training camps in Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics, Biology, Astronomy, and Astrophysics.
India has now participated in the IChO 26 times in a row, consistently performing well. Overall, Indian students have secured 30% gold, 53% silver, and 17% bronze medals. In just the last decade, gold and silver wins have jumped by 38% and 58% respectively.
Despite such a stellar performance, the names of these students don’t trend on social media. There are no banners, no grand welcomes at airports, no cash prizes, not even school assemblies celebrating them in most cases.
We talk endlessly about cricket scores and IPL auctions, and now even chess and kabaddi get deserved attention but when students put India on the global science map, the silence is heavy. These are the heroes who crack the hardest exams, bring back medals from elite international contests, and still walk home in quiet victory.
Isn’t it time we cheered just as loudly for our chemistry champions as we do for our cricket captains?
India’s youth are making their mark on the global stage — not just in sports like cricket and badminton, but also in academics like the Chemistry Olympiad. The four students who won big at the International Chemistry Olympiad 2025 are proof of that.
They’ve brought pride to the nation with their brilliance and hard work. The least we can do is give them the recognition they deserve. These are not just toppers or science nerds , they are national champions, and it’s time we start treating them like it.
