India Shines at the 2025 International Linguistics Olympiad

India’s young minds made history at the 22nd International Linguistics Olympiad (IOL) 2025, held in Taipei, Taiwan, from July 20 to 27. A team of four brilliant students brought home a gold, a bronze, two individual honourable mentions, and a team-level honourable mention—a first for India since joining the competition in 2009!

This blog dives into their amazing achievement, why it matters, and how you can get inspired to join the fun. Let’s explore!

What Is the International Linguistics Olympiad?

The IOL – one of 13 International Science Olympiads – an international contest that lets high school students from around the world compete by solving tricky language challenges using just logic and smarts. You don’t need to know any specific language—just a sharp brain and a love for cracking codes. In 2025, 227 students from 42 countries competed, tackling problems about rare languages and their grammar, structure, and culture.

Meet India’s Superstar Team

The Indian team shone bright, with every member earning an award. Here’s who they are:

• Vaageesan Surendran (Chennai, 15): Won the gold medal. He’s fluent in five languages (Tamil, Hindi, English, Sanskrit and Mandarin) and can read 34 scripts! His passion for puzzles and languages led to this big win.
• Advay Misra (New Delhi, 12): Bagged the bronze medal. At just 12, he’s an academic prodigy who loves word puzzles and coding. He has also won the Science and Geography Bees!
• Nandagovind Anurag (Bengaluru, 18): received an honourable mention. Heading to Oxford University, he loves how linguistics mixes logic, math, and creativity.
• Siripurapu Bhuvan (Hyderabad, 15): Also won an honourable mention. He discovered the wonders of linguistics through IOL and enjoyed the teamwork.

Led by Professor Parameswari Krishnamurthy from IIIT-Hyderabad and supported by observer Anshul Krishnadas Bhagwat, the team trained hard to make India proud.

Why This Win Is a Big Deal

This year’s success is a game-changer for India. Here’s why:

• Historic First: Every team member won an individual award, a first since India joined IOL in 2009.
• Team Glory: India earned its first-ever team-level honourable mention, standing tall among 57 teams.
• Global Stage: Competing against 227 students from 42 countries, India showed its growing strength in linguistics.

Since 2009, India has won 31 medals (4 gold, 9 silver, 18 bronze), but 2025 set a new record. It proves Indian students are mastering logic and analytical thinking, skills that shine in fields like computational linguistics and AI.

How Did They Get There?

The journey to IOL starts with the Panini Linguistics Olympiad (PLO) in India. Here’s how it works:

1. Round 1: Open to middle and high school students across cities.
2. Round 2: Top performers compete in the Asia Pacific Linguistics Olympiad (APLO) and attend a training camp in Hyderabad.
3. Final Prep: The top four students train intensively at IIIT-Hyderabad to tackle IOL’s challenges.

The team practiced solving past problems and worked together to sharpen their skills. Their hard work paid off big time!

What the Champions Say

The students didn’t just win medals—they made lifelong friends! Vaageesan loved the thrill of decoding languages. Advay called IOL a “celebration of linguistic diversity.” Nandagovind and Bhuvan cherished the global friendships they formed. They all agree: IOL is about fun, learning, and connecting with others.

Why Should You Care?

Linguistics isn’t just about languages—it’s about solving puzzles, thinking creatively, and understanding the world. The skills you learn can lead to cool careers in AI, coding, or even language preservation. The IOL brings together students internationally, fostering cultural exchange alongside academic challenge.

How Can You Join the Fun?

Want to be the next IOL star? Here’s how to start:

• Join the PLO: Check out the Panini Linguistics Olympiad and sign up for Round 1.
• Practice Puzzles: Try solving language puzzles online to boost your logic skills.
• Have Fun: As Nandagovind says, “Cherish every moment—it’s about friendships as much as winning!”

Conclusion

India’s 2025 IOL triumph shows that with passion and teamwork; you can achieve anything. So, get curious, dive into linguistics, and maybe you’ll be part of India’s next big win.

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