PTI

Mumbai, May 22: Five students will represent India in the forthcoming International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) to be held in Iran from July 13 to 22.

Harsh Harivansh Pareek from Mumbai, Pratyush Pandey, Raman Sharmam, both from Jaipur, Rohit Singh from Dehradun and Vivek Lohani from Almora) were selected out of 42,000 students, Dr Vijay Singh, the national coordinator of the IPhO, said at a function held on Monday at Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE) here.

HBCSE conducted an 11-day intensive training camp for 35 selected students, which concluded on Sunday, after which the five were selected, Singh said.

Singh said, Indian students have been performing 'remarkably well' in the international arena and till last year they had won several gold, silver and bronze medals.

"We are optimistic that the current team will continue this glorious tradition," he added.

Singh said, the preparations for selecting the team began in November, 2006. About 42,000 students from across the nation participated in the first level examination conducted by Indian Association of Physics Teachers (IAPT).

Three hundred selected students wrote the 2nd level examination, Indian National Physics Olympiad (INPhO) examination, out of which 35 were picked to participate in the intensive training at HBCSE here.

The team will be accompanied by two leaders, Prof Charudatt Kadolkar of IIT, Guwahati and Dr Vishwjeet Kulkarni of Smt Parvatibai Chowgule College, Goa, and Singh as a scientific observer.

Over 80 countries are expected to participate this year in the 38th edition of IPhO, which represents a celebration of the best in higher secondary school physics.