India achieved a remarkable feat at the 34th International Biology Olympiad (IBO) 2023, held in Al Ain, UAE from July 3 to July 11, 2023. With each student securing a gold medal, India emerged as the leading nation in the medals tally.
This extraordinary accomplishment marks the first time that India has achieved a perfect gold performance and secured the top position in the IBO. The Indian students who participated in the event and won gold medals are as follows:
- Dhruv Advani from Bengaluru, Karnataka
- Ishan Pednekar from Kota, Rajasthan
- Megh Chhabda from Jalna, Maharashtra
- Rohit Panda from Risali, Chattisgarh
The Indian team was supported by two leaders: Prof. Madan M. Chaturvedi, a former Senior Professor from Delhi University, and Dr. Anupama Ronad from HBCSE, TIFR.
Additionally, two Scientific Observers accompanied the team: Dr. V. V. Binoy from the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru, and Dr. Rambhadur Subedi from NIRRH, Mumbai.
This year’s IBO saw the participation of 293 students from 76 countries. Among them, Singapore was the only other nation to secure four gold medals. In total, 29 gold medals were awarded.
It is worth noting that India has previously excelled in other disciplines as well. The country has topped the medals tally in Astronomy & Astrophysics in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2015, and 2021, Physics in 2018, and Junior Science in 2014, 2019, 2021, and 2022.