Times Scholars hunt comes across talent of all sorts

Updated on: Saturday, October 13, 2012

Musicians, poets, karate kids, chess champions and even football fans — the Times Scholars hunt saw all sorts trooping in. Apart from the exemplary academic records, these skills, painstakingly acquired over a short lifetime, were, tested over four days, ending Friday, to shortlist candidates for the final round of interviews from which will emerge 20 Times Scholars.

While some candidates said they would choose the route to public service through the bureaucracy and were going to give the IAS exams their best shot, others like Anshul Gupta of The Shri Ram School in Gurgaon had already decided to dedicate their lives to bring science to the help of humanity. He proudly claimed he had a patent pending for technology to soak up carbon dioxide from vehicle emissions.

The jury, drawn from a range of engineers, career counsellors, teachers and journalists had a tough time picking out the best from the brainiest of candidates who had come through a grueling on-line test from various cities in northern India for which New Delhi was the interview centre. A total of 250 candidates, almost all 16 or 17-year-old 12th graders preparing to give IIT or medical school entrance exams, appeared in the interviews which were held at the Times of India office since Tuesday. Similar interviews were held in other cities to select 100 finalists from among 517 aspirants countrywide.

About 45,000 applications were received from across India. Based on information given by the candidates in the forms, nearly 3,800 students were shortlisted to take an aptitude test and then a shortlist of interviewees drawn up. Award winners will get cash scholarships worth Rs 5 lakh over the four years of graduation and will also be offered guidance and mentorship.

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