The much-coveted gold medals may have eluded the 117-member Indian contingent at the Paris Olympics, where India finished 71st, however, the country’s performance hit a new high at the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) in recently concluded held in Bath, United Kingdom, in July, with India finishing fourth for the first time with four golds, one silver and an honorable mention. Last year, her position was ninth in the Mathematics Olympiad.
While the team’s best performance – since it started participating in the IMO in 1989 – received an appreciation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it has also brought the Homi Bhabha Center for Science Education (HBCSE), Mumbai, into the limelight, where the team took training.
Experts say the International Science and Mathematics Olympiad aims to bring together the world’s most talented secondary and senior secondary students in a friendly competition at the highest level and is not tied to any admissions. They aim to work as a stimulus for young talent to seek careers in science and mathematics, offering them a challenging window into the human mind at the highest level of logical, scientific and mathematical thinking.
Professor Anwesh Mazumdar, national co-ordinator for Science Olympiads at HBCSE, said: “The International Olympiads are not just competitions but celebrations of science and mathematics at secondary and higher secondary levels. Just as the Olympiad is a competition at the highest level of individual athletes, the Olympiads are friendly competitions between much better students. They bring together the brightest minds from around the world.”
He added, “The whole idea of the Olympiads is to encourage scientific temperament, scientific thinking and challenge the human mind. The Olympiads merely offer a glimpse into the world of a scientist’s intellectually useful life.
Although the movement started with the first IMO held in 1959 in Romania, India has participated in Mathematics Olympiads since 1989. Later it also started participating in Science Olympiads – Physics (1998), Chemistry and Astronomy (1999). , Biology (2000) and Junior Science (2007).
Typically, most days will include lectures and tutorial sessions along with laboratory components, with the exception of math. (Photo: HBCSE)
And at the heart of India’s journey to the Olympics over the last three decades is the Mumbai-based HBCSE, which has trained students selected from across the country after multiple tests.
Apart from mathematics, teams of HBCSE prepared students represent India in four International Science Olympiads – Physics, Chemistry, Astronomy and Biology. It also prepared students for the International Junior Science Olympiad till 2022 which has now been handed over to the Indian Association of Physics Teachers (IAPT).
Rigorous process
The Olympics, as explained by the professors, are not a speed test or memory assessment. Prof Prithwijit De, national coordinator for the Maths Olympiad, explained, “In the Maths Olympiad, more than a correct answer, the emphasis is on assessing the process, assessing the individual’s logical, mathematical and experiential thinking. In Science Olympiads, the thrust is on an individual’s ability to solve problems – theoretical or experimental in nature. The screening process and training camps are structured accordingly to identify talent.”
It begins with a large number of aspirants – anywhere from 30,000 to one lakh, based on various subjects – appearing for the national-level exams, which are held at multiple centers across the country. While there are five stages of filtering for mathematics, for science subjects it involves four stages. Finally, 30-50 shortlisted candidates reach HBCSE for orientation selection camp.
HBCSE Residential Training Camps spanning days ensure intensive academic preparation of selected students. While mathematics (24-25 days) and astronomy (18 days) have longer camps, physics, chemistry and biology camps range from 10 to 14 days.
In astronomy, training also includes observing the night sky and telescope handling sessions. (Photo: HBCSE)
Just as an athlete undergoes an intense physical routine to participate in the Olympics, students at HBCSE have an intense academic routine that includes lectures, problem-solving lessons with intensive mentoring, laboratory sessions and several assessment tests. Mazumdar said, “A big emphasis is on experiential learning because this is a neglected area in mainstream school education, while in Olympiads it counts for 40 percent of the result.”
Typically, most days will include lectures and tutorial sessions along with laboratory components, with the exception of math. In astronomy, training also includes observing the night sky and telescope handling sessions.
These camps held between April and June also include multiple assessment tests to further select the best candidates to form a team of four to six members (depending on the subjects) to represent India in various international Olympiads. These teams then undergo more intensive academic training in HBCSE at the pre-departure camp before leaving to represent India at the International Olympics.
One of the gold medal winners, Ananda Bhaduri (18) from Assam said, “Although it was not stressful, it was inspiring to work around peers who shared the same love for mathematics along with seniors and teachers. We developed personal connections with the instructors as most of them were our Olympian seniors and now college students. It was one of the best experiences of my life.” Bhaduri has attended the IMO twice and will go to Imperial College London next month to study mathematics.
Adhitya Mangudy (17) from Pune, who has participated in Maths Olympiad since he was in Class 9, said, “The boot camp is always an enriching experience. Once the team is finalized, the pre-launch camp focuses more on mock tests, problem solving to prepare for the final stage of the International Olympiad. Since the camps are residential in nature, we have ample time to bond with each other by playing games and discussing study options.
India’s performance
About 100 countries participate in the International Olympics every year. While India achieved its highest ranking (fourth) this year, the teams representing India have maintained top 10 rankings except in a few cases. It saw its highest performance in physics and biology in 2018 and 2023 respectively, and in astronomy India topped the number of medals several times.
India has won a total of 252 gold medals, 331 silver medals, 151 bronze medals and 39 honorable mentions, since the country’s participation in various international Olympiads began. The data also shows that at 43 percent, the weight of gold medals is much higher in the last 10 years.
In July 2024 alone, apart from IMO, Indian teams won one gold and three silver medals in the International Biology Olympiad (IBO) held in Astana, Kazakhstan, two gold and three silver medals in the International Physics Olympiad (IPO) held in Isfahan. Iran, and one gold, two silver and one bronze in the International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO) held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
A team of students has just completed training at HBCSE to represent India at the International Olympiad in Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA) in Rio De Janeiro from August 17 to 26, 2024. India has also hosted International Olympiads in the past, all set to expected IOAA in 2025.
These camps held between April and June also include multiple assessment tests to further select the best candidates to form a team of four to six members (depending on the subjects) to represent India in various international Olympiads. (Photo: HBCSE)
Why HBCSE?
Indian participation in IMO began in 1989 under the auspices of the National Board of Higher Mathematics (NBHM) of DAE, a body that still oversees the national programme. HBCSE provided administrative support for the program until about 2000 and then provided academic support after the DAE members in question transferred to HBCSE. Since then, the academic program has been fully coordinated by HBCSE in collaboration with NBHM.
Student registration for the first phase – National Standard Examination (NSE) – of National Science Olympiad 2025 has already started at https://www.iapt.org.in.
Guiding students to pursue science, mathematics
Although some of these students said that the olympiads have been a turning point for them in their career trajectory, Prof Mazumdar said, “It is very encouraging to know that the olympiads have at least partially succeeded in their aim of encouraging students of young people towards a career in science; however, I am not sure if we can claim sole credit for their career choices. as career decisions also depend on social and economic factors.”
HBCSE was able to track down close to 85 percent of Olympic medalists from previous years, especially those who have graduated; and 64 percent of them turned out to have chosen “academic careers”, which according to HBCSE professors are those who are either pursuing a doctorate or have completed it, indicating that they are in research.
Speaking specifically about students from Maths Olympiad, Prof De talked about how with fewer choices, these students would have pursued CSE in IITs earlier. “But now they are making conscious choices to pursue a career in mathematics in India at institutes like Chennai Mathematical Institute or Indian Statistical Institute or abroad,” he said.