The 34th International Biology Olympiad was organized in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates (UAE). This program started from 3 July 2023 till 12 July 2023. 76 countries including India participated in the International Biology Olympiad this year and a total of 293 students from all the countries participated. In this program, the students of India have achieved the top position among all the countries by performing brilliantly. India has achieved this position by winning 4 gold medals. Megh Chhabra, Ishaan Pednekar, Dhruv Advani and Rohit Panda have won gold medals for India. This is the first time India has achieved an all-gold performance at the IBO.
What is International Biology Olympiad?
The International Biology Olympiad (IBO) is an association for pre-university students under the age of 20 that organizes the world's premier biology competition for students. The first IBO was held in Czechoslovakia in 1990 and has been held every year since then.
India's victory at IBO 2023 adds another glorious chapter to the country's success in various Science Olympiads. Before the year 2023, India had topped the astronomy and astrophysics program in the years 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2015 and 2021). Apart from this, in the year 2018 for Physics and also in the year 2014, 2019, 2021 and 2022 for Junior Science, it has secured the first position in the medal tally
Competitions held in 34th International Biology Olympiad (IBO) :-
During the competition, the participants had to go through an extensive series of six tests. The initial two tests, conducted on computers, focused on theoretical knowledge. These tests covered a wide range of subjects such as anatomy, animal and plant physiology, cytology, microbiology, molecular biology, genetics, ecology, behavior and biosystems. The remaining four exams consisted of practical experiments, especially in the fields of biochemistry, plant molecular biology, bioinformatics and ecology, with an ethical component.
Countries other than India have also won awards:-
Singapore was the only other country to bag four gold medals, highlighting India's exceptional performance. China, Chinese Taipei and the future Olympic delegation, finished second with three gold medals. The United Arab Emirates also celebrated their first victory by winning the bronze medal.