Enrolled for Biology Physics Chemistry at the age of 15 and for Medical at the age of 17 — that's what the résumé of child prodigy Agastya Jaiswal is most likely to read a few years from now. This not-so-average kid from Hyderabad had cleared his class X exams when he was 9 years old and recently, cleared his BA in Mass Communication and Journalism at the age of 11. Did we mention that he is also a state-level table tennis player?
Agastya Jaiswal, student
"I study for knowledge, not for a degree," said young Jaiswal. Looking at his track record, this doesn't sound clichéd coming from him. And though his name is enrolled at St Mary's College, Yousufguda, he has special permission from his college to be home-schooled, under the sports quota. Ask him about his aim and he said, "I want to serve poor people and open a charity hospital someday," he says.
By this time we are baffled, so we talk to Ashwani Kumar, his father, who was a teacher for 30 years. "We have created a routine for Agastya and his sister, which involves meditation, chores at home, listening to stories and reading the Ramayana and the Bhagavad Gita on Saturdays, along with regular playing and studying. The key is to keep them engaged and away from two evils — gadgets and TV," he explained.
And it is the lessons from the stories they listen to that provide real food for thought. "The moral of most of these stories is that if you work sincerely, everything will come to you, just play your part. If you are a student, study. If you are a sportsperson, play," he concluded.
