Advay Misra, an eleven-year-old boy from New Delhi, has recently garnered attention for his outstanding performance at the International Academic Championship, held from June 14th to the 16th. Misra, an eighth-grader at New Delhi’s Sanskriti School, secured first place in both the academic bee and science competitions, and earned a second-place finish in the geography bee. The event, which took place in Khao Lak, Thailand, saw fierce competition for the Asian Championship titles, with over 300 students participating from 30 cities across 14 countries.
Misra’s journey began when his parents moved to the United States for work in 2018, and he started his academic career at the age of five. Since returning to India in 2021, his list of accomplishments has steadily grown. Notably, he has won the Academic Bee Championship consecutively and claimed the Asian Science Bee Championship title for three years in a row.
In 2023, as the All India Winner of the National Academic Competition, Misra achieved the remarkable feat of winning all four bees—Academic, Science, Geography, and History—while representing India. He also boasts an impressive record in the United States, having placed second in the 2020–21 National Science Bee Championship.
Misra’s favourite pastimes include reading and Python programming, and he credits his mother for his success. He has also excelled in CTY’s grade-based testing programmes by watching math lessons on Khan Academy. During an interview with Ashok Vyas for the television show Wide Angle, his passion for geography and travel was evident: “As someone who enjoys travelling extensively, I find it helpful to familiarise myself with the flag of each country I visit.” Misra has been honoured with several accolades, including being named one of the “brightest students in the world” by Johns Hopkins University. Additionally, the New York City Department of Education recognised his Moodmeter initiative, designed to help his classmates cope with the pandemic, as one of the top overall school projects.
