India's Top 5 Students Selected for IOAA 2025: Meet the Team

A group of five very bright students has been selected to compete for India in the prestigious 2025 International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA) in Mumbai this August. These bright sparks came from a very competitive selection that started with the Indian National Astronomy Olympiad, which attracted approximately 500 eager contestants.

The Road to Selection

The students went through a rigorous Orientation-cum-Selection Camp (OCSC) at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Mohali. In this camp, they were given practical training in astrophysics and astronomy, and their knowledge in these fields was put to the test. Out of the 54 students selected for the camp on the basis of their national-level exam ranks, 37 received the training, and the top five were chosen for the national team.

Meet the Team

The following students will represent India at the IOAA 2025:

• Aarush Mishra
• Sumant Gupta
• Banibrata Majee
• Panini
• Akshat Srivastava

All these young achievers will be among some of the brightest young minds in astronomy across the globe to display their skills and knowledge.

Special Awards and Recognition

During the camp, students who performed exceptionally in different fields were awarded special prizes. Aarush Mishra was awarded the CL Bhat Memorial Award for his all-around brilliant performance. Sumant Gupta was awed with the highest score in the observation test, and Akshat Srivastava took home two prizes for his exemplary performance in theory and data analysis.

Expert Guidance and Training

The OCSC also gave the students extensive training, with classes on handling telescopes, observing the sky, lectures, and problem-solving workshops. The professors and experts from different institutes, such as IIT Kanpur, NISER Bhubaneswar, and IUCAA Pune, played a very important role in organizing the camp. One guest lecture given by Professor Dipankar Bhattacharya of Ashoka University emphasized the significance of employing various wavebands in astronomy.

A New Chapter for Indian Astronomy

The choice of these five students is a milestone in the history of Indian astronomy. While getting ready to represent their nation globally, they will surely leave their mark and contribute to the glory of India. The IOAA 2025 is a great chance for these young astronomers to express their skills and learn from the world's best astronomers.

Also read: NIFT Final Results 2025: Download Scorecard at nift.ac.in