IIT Mandi students to represent India at PLANCKS 2025 in Spain

A team of four M.Sc. Physics students from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi will represent India at Physics League Across Numerous Countries for Kick-ass Students (PLANCKS) 2025, an international physics competition to be held in Barcelona, Spain, from May 1 to 5.

Hosted by the Autonomous University of Barcelona, the event will feature students from over 25 countries. The IIT Mandi team — Aneet Kaur, Bhavya, Kumar Ashish, and Bhanu Pratap Singh — is the only group from an IIT among three Indian teams selected through a national qualifier with 41 teams.

Their second-place finish at the Indian Young Physicists League (IYPL) 2025 earned them the opportunity to compete on the global stage.

For almost 10 years, the International Association of Physics Students has organized the competition, which is held every year. It gives students a forum to work together, tackle difficult physics problems, and exchange information across academic and national borders.

“Four students from our school have been selected for PLANCKS 2025, which is indeed a matter of appreciable moment for our school. Such academic competition will help in the expansion of the experience of our students towards their journey in learning and cultural exchange among the participants around the world,” said Dr Bindu Radhamany, Chairperson, School of Physical Sciences at IIT Mandi.

“The competition witnessed teams from premier institutions across the country battling their way through rigorous physics challenges. Among the Indian teams that qualified for PLANCKS 2025, IIT Mandi emerged as one of the top contenders alongside teams from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore, IITs, and IISERs,” Dr Radhamany added.