India joined China, Russia, South Korea and Taiwan at the top of the 56th International Physics Olympiad this month after all five of its students won gold medals. Trained at the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education, run by the Department of Atomic Energy, they showed that India can produce scientific talent equal to the world’s best. Yet many gifted young physicists later leave for institutions like MIT, Princeton and Stanford, drawn by better research opportunities. That weakens India’s scientific ambitions. Producing brilliant students is only the first step. The government must build world-class laboratories, fund research and offer rewarding academic careers to encourage India’s brightest minds to build this nation, not someone else’s.
