Indian team wins 4 gold medals, 1 silver at International Olympiad on Astronomy & Astrophysics

The Indian gold medallists were Banibrata Majee from Hyderabad, Akshat Srivastava from Gurugram, Panini from Vaishali, and Aarush Mishra from Bengaluru, while Sumant Gupta from Noida won the silver. The team was guided by Professors Jasjeet Bagla and Harvinder Jassal of IISER Mohali, and supported by scientific observers Professors Kinjalk Lochan and Pankaj Kushwaha of IISER Mohali, Professor Jaswant Yadav from the Central University of Haryana, and Professor Mamta Gulati from Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology. Professor Aniket Sule of HBCSE-TIFR, who currently serves as the president of IOAA, was also present at the event.

As HBCSE-TIFR was the host institution for IOAA 2025, the responsibility for selecting and training the Indian team was entrusted this year to IISER Mohali. The competition also saw a student from the United States emerge as the overall individual winner with the highest aggregate score.

The Olympiad was hosted for the first time in India and witnessed the participation of nearly 300 high-school students from 64 countries, including 12 nations competing for the first time.

“Students should continue to explore the frontiers of science with curiosity and commitment,” Homi Bhabha National Institute Chancellor Dr Anil Kakodkar said while praising the participants’ pursuit of scientific excellence and spirit of international cooperation.

The International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics, established in 2007, is one of the premier global platforms for high-school students passionate about astronomy and astrophysics.