Four Indian high school students showcased their exceptional skills by winning a gold, two silver, and a bronze medal at the 56th International Chemistry Olympiad in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The achievement placed India in the eleventh position on the country-wise medals tally.
Devesh Bhaiya, a class 12 student from LH Patil English School in Jalgaon, Maharashtra, secured the gold medal. Avaneesh Bansal, another class 12 student from Kota, Rajasthan, earned a silver medal, adding to his previous gold from a past International Chemistry Olympiad. Harshin Posina from Hyderabad also won a silver, while Kashyap Khandelwal from Mumbai took home a bronze medal.
The students received their training from the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education-Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (HBCSE-TIFR) in Mumbai.
The competition, which ran from July 21 to 30, tested participants’ chemistry knowledge and skills through rigorous five-hour laboratory practical and theoretical exams. This year, the event saw the participation of 327 students from 97 countries.
As reported by timesofindia.indiatimes.com, the Indian team was guided by a group of mentors and observers, including Prof. Gulshanara Shaikh from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, Dr. Shraddha Tiwari, Assistant Professor at the Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, Prof. Seema Gupta from Acharya Narendra Dev College, Delhi, and Dr. Amrit Mitra from Govt. General Degree College, Singur, West Bengal.
