18th International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA) Held in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

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The 18th edition of the International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA), a global competition for secondary school students, was hosted in Mumbai, Maharashtra from August 11 to 21, 2025. This was the first time India hosted the event, marking a historic milestone with record participation.


      - The event was organized by the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE), which is a national centre of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai. The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), Government of India, supported the event through the Vigyan Pratibha Project of HBCSE, ensuring extensive participation and smooth execution.

      - The 18th IOAA 2025 witnessed the largest-ever participation in its history, featuring over 300 students from 64 countries.

      - With India hosting the event for the first time, the scale of representation and enthusiasm showcased the country’s growing role in global scientific and academic initiatives.

Main Point :-   (i) India achieved remarkable success in this edition by securing 4 gold medals and 1 silver medal. Aarush Mishra from Bengaluru (Karnataka), Banibrata Majee from Delhi, Panini from Patna (Bihar), and Akshat Srivastava from Kolkata (West Bengal) each won gold medals, while Sumant Gupta from Gurugram (Haryana) earned a silver medal.

      (ii) An important development during the IOAA Board Meeting was the suspension of Israel as a recognized national team for future editions. The representatives of 64 participating countries voted for this decision, mandating that Israeli students may only compete as individuals without official national representation.

(iii) The successful hosting of IOAA 2025 in Mumbai not only highlighted India’s scientific capabilities but also strengthened its position as a global leader in education and innovation. The victory of Indian students further reinforced the nation’s academic excellence in astronomy and astrophysics.

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