Autar Nehru (Delhi)

It’s raining accolades for Indore teenager Ved Lahoti (17). A student of Allen Career Institute, Kota, Ved chalked up an incredible 355 of a maximum possible score of 360, the highest ever in IIT-JEE (Joint Entrance Examination) Advanced — held on May 26. IIT-JEE (Mains), the joint entrance examination of India’s globally reputed 23 Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), is reportedly the world’s toughest admissions exam written by 1.4 million higher secondary school-leavers of whom 2.5 lakh qualified for IIT-Advanced, of whom 17,740 were accepted into the IITs. By virtue of his top score Ved has been admitted into the top-ranked IIT-Bombay’s four-year B.Tech (computer science) degree programme.

The younger of two children of Yogesh Lahoti, a construction manager in Reliance Jio, and homemaker mother Jaya, Ved attributes his extraordinary academic success to consistent preparation. Starting with participation in science Olympiads, regular practice tests and thorough analysis of test papers by Allen, Kota teachers, parental support and most of all, to the support of grandfather R.C. Somani, a retired engineer. “Much before I moved to Kota, my grandfather used to help me strategise and draw up balanced study schedules which enabled my regular study habit,” acknowledges this young whiz.

An academic topper throughout school (SICA Senior Secondary School and Rankers International) in small town Indore, Ved believes there’s no substitute for a disciplined study regimen. “I was always interested in computer science and math while in school and determined to study in a top-ranked IIT. After I completed the class X CBSE board exam, my parents decided to enroll me in a two-year Allen Tutorials IIT-JEE test prep program. They believed that Kota’s highly competitive culture would rub off on me. It did. During my two years with Allen, I followed a daily schedule of 10-12 hours of rigorous study and restful eight hours of sleep,” says Ved, who has formally challenged IIT-JEE to show cause why they deducted five marks in IIT-JEE Advanced.

Having set the stage for his future at IIT-B, Ved intends to make a career in AI and quantum physics research. “India doesn’t have a good reputation for deep, breakthrough research. I hope to change that,” he says.

Wind beneath your wings!