New Delhi: They were confident,not cocky.Smart,not
flashy.Intelligent,not know-it-all.Gifted and engaged with life from
physics to football.The 105 twelfth-graders who appeared for the Times
Scholar final interviews came from the metros and Tier II India,but
spoke with equal panache about where they want to reach.
In sessions held over November 2 and 3,they boldly put forth their views on corruption,politics,complex issues such as reservations,suggested cures for the education system,talked on Kashmir,Chinas success,the US elections and Arvind Kejriwals movement.They were quick on the draw,thinking on their feet.
Sample some snatches of conversation.Asked about a political partys campaign against people from Bihar working in Maharashtra,a girl said: Our dabbawalas are all Bihari.If they dont do it,will Raj Thackeray start delivering lunch Those planning a future in medicine were quizzed on ethical issues in medical testing.
They knew their mind.Several talked about their passion for research,the need for it.They were clear: They had refuse corporate salaries for high-value research, a panellist said.One student,with intense eyes,talked of Paul Krugman.This boy had an understanding of US elections,rarely seen in children his age.Hed study economics,does community service in a village near Ranchi and is in the school basketball team.
Some contestants were asked to enumerate three of the most crushing failures of their lives.One answer struck me.A girl recounted how after she failed to make the cut in a national science talent search exam her father told her she must keep doing her bit sincerely.Even if she didnt win a scholarship,itd be a successful battle against not-knowing, a panellist said.The panellists spent time with the contestants,allowing them to get comfortable and,in some cases,even chatty.One kid,explaining his interest in helping cancer patients,digressed into the story of his attempts at romance.I talk to my maternal aunt a lot and shes with a cancer research foundation, he said,I talk to her about my crushes,if they can be called that.I had two major crushes in six years but I was too shy to ask them out. The panellists,admiring his presumably new-found confidence and candour,laughed.
If the smarts impressed,so did the maturity displayed by some.One said if she failed to crack the entrance exam to AIIMS the first time,she wont keep trying.Id rather pursue pure-science and take up research. A boy said he wasnt bent on an engineering degree from MIT.Im aware of my capabilities.If my skill for logical reasoning gets me into the institute,Ill go.If not,Ill look for the next best option.
A number of the kids said they were innovators.Ones created a device that to cut emission from cars,another runs a website which solves math queries and yet another has created a rape alarm.
source :TNN
No comments:
Post a Comment