India bags one gold, three silver medals at International Biology Olympiad 2026

New Delhi: India delivered a strong performance at the 37th International Biology Olympiad (IBO) 2026, with all four members of the national team winning medals, including one gold and three silver medals, at the competition held in Vilnius, Lithuania, from July 12 to 19.

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The Indian contingent comprised Bhavyaa Gunwal from Mahendragarh, Haryana, who won the gold medal, while Soumil Maity from Howrah, West Bengal, Nishit Kalani from Pali, Rajasthan, and Anmol Kumar from Mansa, Punjab secured silver medals. The competition featured 307 students from 78 countries, with a total of 31 gold, 61 silver and 91 bronze medals awarded.

The team was led by Prof. Rekha Vartak and Dr. Anupama Ronad, while Dr. Ranjithsinh Devkar and Dr. Siddhesh Ghag served as Scientific Observers.

The Olympiad included six-hour practical and theoretical examinations designed to test advanced biological knowledge and analytical skills. The practical component covered molecular biology and biochemistry, animal physiology, animal morphology and systematics, and computational plant biology, while the theory examination assessed problem-solving abilities across disciplines such as cell and molecular biology, genetics, evolution, ecology, ethology and biosystematics.

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This was India's 26th appearance at the International Biology Olympiad. Since its debut, Indian participants have won 17 gold, 69 silver and 17 bronze medals, along with one honourable mention. Over the last ten editions, Indian students have recorded gold and silver strike rates of 25 percent and 68 percent, respectively. The organisers credited the Biology Olympiad Cell of HBCSE and mentors from across the country for preparing the students through orientation and pre-departure camps.

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