The 14-year-old child prodigy Sahal Kaushik doesn’t talk much. It seems he believes in results rather than sheer talking. He proved that by creating history, as he became the youngest aspirant ever to crack the prestigious IIT JEE entrance exam. It seems, however, he’s “really bored of interviews”.
When asked what does he aim next? He says, “I’d like go in for research in pure sciences and take up Astrophysics. Engineering doesn’t interest me.” Answering to the point, Sahal shares that he doesn’t like watching TV.
Thankfully, he leaves his mother to share details on his behalf. Sahal’s mother, Dr Ruchi Kaushik sensed that her son was far ahead of his age when he was barely two. “Sahal would spell four and five letter words then. He would do sums of addition and multiplication when kids his age would be learning counting. And right then, I knew he wouldn’t fit in the general education system,” avers Ruchi.
She adds, “He wanted information and I guided him. He constantly asked questions and I had to be prepared with the answers. I decided to give up my job and train him at home.”
Youngsters in the city who aspire to crack similar exams are baffled at Sahal’s genius. “This achievement is like a super feat, something we only see in movies. He is a superkid. Ever since he cracked IIT-JEE, my parents have been constantly reminding me to work hard citing his example. I am trying my best,” says 17-year-old Tanmay Nath, an IIT-JEE aspirant.
“People enroll in special coaching classes and crash courses to crack this entrance, yet it is so difficult to get through. If I get a chance to meet him, I have so many questions for him,” says Diksha Bhatia, a student, who couldn’t crack IIT-JEE entrance and is now preparing for IP exams.
Sahal cleared his Class X with 76 % when he was 12. Did he miss any part of growing up like other children. Like making friends? “No, I have friends from tuition and society. I like swimming and playing badminton with them,” he says. “He is a reserved child,” adds his mother, who prioritised her family over her career.