Mumbai: The Indian team has achieved outstanding success at the 35th International Biology Olympiad (IBO) 2024, held in Astana, Kazakhstan from July 7 to July 13. The team brought home one gold medal and three silver medals, showcasing India’s talent on the international stage.

Vedant Sakre from Mumbai, Maharashtra, clinched the gold medal. The silver medal winners included Ishan Pednekar from Ratnagiri, Maharashtra; Shrijith Sivakumar from Chennai, Tamil Nadu; and Yashashwi Kumar from Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh.

The Indian team was guided by Prof. Sasikumar Menon from TDM Lab, Mumbai, and Dr. Mayuri Rege from the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE), TIFR. Additionally, Dr. Rajesh Patkar from IIT Bombay and Dr. Devesh Suthar from M. S. University, Baroda, served as Scientific Observers.

This year’s IBO featured 305 students from 80 countries. Participants competed in four 1.5-hour experimental exams and two 3.25-hour theory exams.

The experimental tests covered topics such as Animal Anatomy and Physiology, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, and Bioinformatics, involving tasks like sheep eyeball dissection, plasmid purification, protein quantitation, and rigorous pH titration.

Theory exams challenged students with questions on cutting-edge research in plant biology, cell biology, ethology, and biosystematics.

The success of the Indian team is attributed to the rigorous training provided by teachers and mentors nationwide, as well as the Biology Olympiad cell of HBCSE during orientation and pre-departure camps. The support from the National Steering Committee, teacher organizations, and funding agencies of the Government of India also played a crucial role.

India’s national Olympiad programme in basic sciences and mathematics connects to international Olympiads, promoting excellence among pre-university students. The HBCSE serves as the nodal centre for this initiative, which encompasses Astronomy (junior and senior levels), Biology, Chemistry, Junior Science, and Physics. The programme’s multi-stage process is coordinated by the Indian Association of Physics Teachers (IAPT) and other subject-specific teacher associations.