Barinder Saluja, Chandigarh ,May 25 : IIT-JEE, the most prestigeous engineering entrance exam in India is no more dominated by the boys as this year All India Ranking (AIR) 12th and topper among girls, Sumegha Garg from Bhatinda has once again proved it. Surprisingly, none of these toppers are from Chandigarh and only one of is a resident of Panchkula. The rest are from the neighbouring areas in the region and were in Chandigarh for preparations. Last year, out of the ten candidates in top 100 ranks, five of them were from Tricity — three from Chandigarh and two from Panchkula. The number of those selected to join the IIT has also fallen drastically as only a hundred odd students stand a chance of securing admission as compared to over 300 last year. “The result has really been a turnoff as compared to last year when it was raining toppers. We were expecting a little dip in the numbers but had never thought of such a poor show. Last year 100 students made it to the top 2000,” said the director of a local IIT training institute.
Sumegha Garg
“Smart and passionate work is the key to success. I nurtured this dream for two yeras and here I am, proud of myself. What really makes me happy is that I have brought laurels to all the girls of our country by securing first position among them. I used to study 8-10 hrs daily.”
Gautam Prem Jain
rank: 20
Ambition: To be a computer engineer
Success mantra: “I was raised in Patiala and shifted to the city two years ago because of better facilities here. From the very first day I dreamed of going to the IIT. I’ve stayed awake for nights together to study but now it has paid off.”
Rhythum Gupta
rank : 27
Ambition : to become an engineer
Success mantra: “Be clear what you want to be after 20 years from now and follow that dream religiously. Since childhood I had thought of being an engineer & after 20 years I have succeeded.”
Piyush Sharma
Rank: 30
Ambition: To be a computer engineer
Success mantra: “Surfing on the Net is my hobby and ever since I laid my hands on my computer for the first time I knew I’d be a computer engineer. I studied for five to six hours a day.”
While the city might have disappointed many with the IIT results, it has proved to be a perfect incubator for outstation talent with all of such students coached here making it to the top 100. “The satellite towns or even the cities in Punjab are yet to get expertise in training students for exams like the IIT or IAS. Students who come from outside are focused and perform better,” said a local tutor.