Three students of the Centre for Advanced Learning (CFAL), Mangaluru, have qualified for the Regional Mathematical Olympiad (RMO) through the Indian Olympiad Qualifier in Mathematics (IOQM) 2026, the first stage of India's national mathematics Olympiad pathway.
The qualifiers are Chirag Adiga, grade 11 (I PU), with 67 marks; Shridhara Hegde, grade 11 (I PU), with 56 marks; and Tejas S, grade 12 (II PU), with 56 marks. Chirag has qualified two years in a row and recorded the highest score of the three.
All three will now sit the RMO on 15 November.
Chirag leads the way
Chirag Adiga's 67 marks were the highest of the three qualifiers, and his qualification for the second year in a row shows consistency at a high level. The IOQM is a demanding examination, and qualifying twice is a strong achievement.
Shridhara Hegde and Tejas S both scored 56 marks, and their qualification adds two more names to the list of Mangaluru students heading to the RMO.
What the Olympiad pathway means
The IOQM is conducted by the Mathematics Teachers' Association (India) with HBCSE-TIFR, and it is the first stage of India's national mathematics Olympiad pathway. The RMO on 15 November is the next stage.
Students who do well in the RMO move further along a pathway that can lead to the national Olympiad and, for the best, to international competition.
Patience over cramming
The CFAL academic team said: "Olympiad mathematics cannot be crammed. It is built over years, by students who learn to be patient with a problem and honest about what they do not yet understand."
The quote captures what Olympiad mathematics demands: patience, honesty about what you do not know, and years of steady work rather than last-minute preparation.
