Bhubaneswar: Odisha’s Debadatta Priyadarshi has brought pride to the state by winning a gold medal at the 58th International Chemistry Olympiad 2026, as India scripted history with its first-ever all-gold performance at the prestigious international competition.
Debadatta was among the four-member Indian team that secured gold medals at the Olympiad held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, from July 10 to 19.
The other gold medallists were Harshit Singla from Punjab, Kabeer Chillar from Delhi, and Sandeep Kuchi from Telangana, according to an official statement.
India finished joint first in the country-wise medals tally alongside China, Vietnam, and Individual Participants Group B (Russia). The 2026 edition of the Olympiad drew 363 students from 93 countries, making it the largest International Chemistry Olympiad held so far.
The achievement marks India’s best-ever performance in the history of the competition and its first clean sweep of gold medals.
The Olympiad tested participants through demanding theoretical and experimental examinations that assessed their knowledge, analytical ability, and practical chemistry skills.
The Indian delegation was led by Head Mentor Prof. Subhajit Bandyopadhyay. Dr. Indrani Sen of HBCSE, Mumbai, served as Mentor, while Dr. Anubendu Adhikary of IIT Kharagpur and Dr. Jayasree Gopalakrishnan of NES Ratnam College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Mumbai, were Scientific Observers.
Congratulating the students, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the team’s outstanding performance reflected the talent and determination of India’s young minds. In a post on X, he said the students’ brilliance, dedication, and passion for science had made the entire nation proud and would inspire many more youngsters to pursue chemistry.
This was India’s 27th appearance at the International Chemistry Olympiad. Over the years, Indian students have consistently excelled at the global event, and the all-gold finish in 2026 stands as the country’s finest performance to date.
