IANS/Patna

A Bihar farmer’s 13-year-old son has cleared the fiercely competitive Indian Institute of Technology-Joint Entrance Examination (IIT-JEE) for which 150,000 candidates had appeared this year.

Satyam Kumar, who passed his class 12 exam last year, secured an impressive all-India rank of 679.

“We are proud of him. He has done something special at this age,” Satyam’s father Sidhnath Singh, said.

The IIT-JEE (Advanced) results for admission into IITs were declared on Friday.

Satyam has beaten the record of Sahal Kaushik from Delhi who was the youngest person to crack the exam in 2010 at the age of 14.

“Now Satyam is the youngest to crack the IIT-JEE,” an IIT official said.

Satyam, who hails from Bakhorapur village in Bhojpur district in Bihar, last year qualified for admission into IIT at the age of 12 ½ years after he got a special permission from the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). He had then secured an all-India rank of 8,137. Not satisfied with his low rank, he appeared for the IIT-JEE preliminary examination this year again and qualified.

“Satyam has improved his rank by his hard work and determination,” his father said.

He appeared for the entrance examination in Kota, Rajasthan, where he had been studying.

Earlier, Satyam had said he wanted to establish a software company on the lines of social networking website Facebook.

*Bihar’s Super 30 has done it again. In another big success, 27 of the 30 candidates from the coaching centre have cracked the IIT-JEE this year, its director said.

“Their hard work paid off and Super 30 has again proved that talent requires nothing but right encouragement and opportunity to blossom.” Anand Kumar, founder-director of the free coaching centre for the economically poor students, said.

The successful candidates from Super 30 include the children of a labourer, landless farmer, mechanic and a priest. “All of them have managed to successfully chase their IIT-JEE dreams at Super 30 with their commitment and hard work,” Kumar said.

Last year, too, 27 students of the institute cleared the exam. Super 30 was selected by Time magazine in its ‘The Best of Asia 2010’ list.

Students from poor families have to pass a competitive test to get into Super 30 and then commit themselves to a year of 16 hours a day study routine. Coaching, food and accommodation are free for the students.

Kumar, who was last year invited to Japan to deliver lectures on his model of teaching, said the institute is supported by income generated from his Ramanujam School of Mathematics, which has students who can afford to pay fees.

 

Satyam Kumar: boy wonder