Ahmedabad: Svarit Joshi, a Class 11 student from Ahmedabad, won a gold medal at the 56th International Physics Olympiad held in Bucaramanga, a city in South American country of Colombia, from July 4 to 12.All five Indian contestants have won gold medals, placing the team at the top with those from China, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, and Taiwan.The Olympiad drew 381 students from 87 countries.The other members of Indian team were Kanishk Jain from Pune, Riddhesh Bendale from Indore, Rishit Garg from New Delhi, and Shresth Suraiya from Mumbai.Svarit is a student at Khyati World School, Bopal, said officials of Gujarat Council on Science and Technology (GUJCOST).“I thank my parents, my school teachers, coaching institutes, resource persons at national institutions such as TIFR, Mumbai, and Team India mentors,” Svarit said. “The achievement has motivated me to dream big.”A GUJCOST official said, “Driven by curiosity and a deep passion for physics, Svarit has built a strong foundation in STEM through years of learning and perseverance.”Officials added that Indian contestants were trained at Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education and Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR). Both centres are in Mumbai.In Gujarat, GUJCOST hosted state and regional rounds for the national and international Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics, Astronomy, Junior Science, and Earth Science Olympiads. GUJCOST also mentored Indian contestants.Dr Narottam Sahoo, former advisor to GUJCOST who initiated orientation events, said that in the past five years, four Gujarat students have made it to the podium. These include two students who won at Olympiads last year.“While we always had talent, there is a marked rise in awareness about such initiatives and availability of mentors from reputed scientific institutions,” Sahoo said. “We must keep the momentum going.”The 2025 winners were Rudra Pethani from Rajkot, who triumphed at International Biology Olympiad, and Aagam Shah from Surat, who shone at International Physics Olympiad.