The particular Indian Institute of Technology All India Joint Entry Exam
(IIT-JEE) results had been announced. Buch, then any 15-year-old dabbling with
career choices, scanned through the rank-holders list. Then he scanned it
again. Soon he made up his mind. He would make an attempt to finish No 1 inside
entrance exam. “It seemed like a cool action to take.”
Every year thousands of Indian students aspire to buy an IIT. Close to help
400, 000 candidates set up this year. One throughout 65 made the slice. Twenty
years ago, the amount of applicants wasn’t as staggering but there were fewer
seats. Golfers will tell you that the odds of the amateur pulling off any
hole-in-one are 1 throughout 12, 750. Still, that’s a doddle in comparison with
what Buch was up against.
In July 1989, Buch was declared No 1 inside IIT JEE exam, arguably the most
challenging and competitive exam on the planet. Only around 50 Indians have
observed the feeling—the numbness, the ecstasy, the dizziness.
Once on a yearly basis, JEE toppers appear on television and newspapers
carry congratulatory messages. You discover mug shots of students, interviews
with parents, and also advertisements for coaching revolve. We spend a lot of
time celebrating their good results, but rarely do many of us look further.
What becomes of the brilliant 17-year-olds? What will be the challenges
they encounter? Do any one them pursue unconventional professions? These were
some of the questions Open set out with while tracking down the very elite
group of JEE toppers.
