Interview by Shitikant [IIT-JEE 08 topper]

This year Patna boy, Shitikant, has topped IIT-JEE, eleven years after Abhinav Kumar made Bihar proud by topping IIT-JEE in 1997.

“I was expecting a good rank, but not the number one”, Shitikant said. While writing the exam he was sure he would make it. “And when I compared my answers with those of other aspirants, I became doubly sure,” he said.
After understanding the concepts, it is no big deal to get a good rank in IIT-JEE. “From the beginning I tried to grasp the concepts and was successful in that attempt”, said Shitikant.

He did not burn the midnight oil while preparing for the exam. “There’s no use of slogging away for 17-18 hrs without the right methodology,” he said and in response to a query said that he never studied for even 7-8 hours in the run-up to the exams.

“From Patna to Vietnam to Kanpur,” is how he reacted when asked what next. At IIT-Kanpur Shitikant will study Computer Science.

An alumnus of St. Michael’s High School, Shitikant has been a consistent performer; he scored 93% in class X and 91% in Class XII exams, conducted by the CBSE. For the last two years, he had been staying at Kota in Rajasthan, where he had joined a coaching institute.

Shitikant is the second Child of Dr. Arun Kumar Barnwal, posted as a surgeon at Gaya medical College and Dr. Anita Kumari who is posted in Danapur. Right from his childhood days, he was inclined towards Physics. His parents never pressurized him to become a Doctor.

Overwhelmed by the success of the Child, his mother said, “I knew even earlier that my son will succeed. My wish was that he would be in the Top 5 but the happiness he gave us by coming first cant be expressed in words. When early morning, the father learnt the news, he hugged so hard as if his son’s Success had given him all the happiness in the World.”

Shitikant who is taking admission for Computer Engineering in Kanpur ultimately wants to do research in Physics. After completing Engineering he would like to start working towards that.

A fan of Cricket, Shitikant’s ambition is to be famous like our respected former President and Scientist Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam. Shitikant also said that if anyone wants to go to IIT, one should pay attention to the Fundamentals. One should understand new situations and application of Concepts could give one Success.

-Mathematics Today