Reverence, 2014

An Annual Day I Ended Up attending

The Event

On the 26th of April, 2014, Delhi Public School, Ruby Park organised its annual day in the science city auditorium. The chief guest was the renowned Dadasaheb Phalke Award winning bengali film legend, Soumitra Chattopadhyay. It happens to be the second annual day of my school(s) that I that ever went to. And being there proved to be very productive!

An iPad from the Blue

I should call myself lucky for having chosen Delhi Public School, Ruby Park as my high school. The last year, I took a test, called the Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana (KVPY), which is an exam conducted by the Indian Institute of Science, to encourage Indian students to join a career in research. Fortunately, I qualified the test, which makes me eligible for a scholarship, from the around August, 2014, if I choose to join a course in basic science (the term 'basic science' is properly explained in the link to the official site of KVPY). I was pretty happy to have been eligible for the scholarship and for a scope to embark a career path that I aspired to join.

Anyhow, I had barely expected a recognition from my school, for managing my way through the test! Yesterday, on the occasion of our school's annual day, I received a 'special prize' from my school, along with 4 of my friends, and what might that special prize be, other then an iPad Air! Now, this was barely expected. I mean, how much can you expect from a prize that your school is giving you for qualifying a little known examination? So, it was literally surprising and it was really difficult to control expressing it on stage, while receiving the prize!

My iPad Air.

And the box that it came in.

Other Prizes in the Bag

The iPad is not where it ends. I received three more wonderful books in the pack.

Physics of the Impossible by Michio Kaku.

An Appetite for Wonder by Richard Dawkins.

The Race of My Life by Milkha Singh.

And last, but not the least, the certificate from school.

So, that sums it up. I am pretty much happy with the encouragement and support I received from my school and I feel really lucky for having been a student of it.

Life After Joint

A Joint, More Intoxicating than Weed

What Does Joint Entrance Examination Mean?

In India, Joint Entrance Examination is synonymous to inevitability. If the faintest trait of studiousness is visible in you (visible only to the parents, generally) then it is highly likely that you are going to take up a science stream in high school, and a science student who has not sat for the Joint Entrance Examination, is a rare sight.

JEE is the channel through which you have to pass, to end up in an engineering or medical college. And these two courses are the most sought after ones in this country. Most probably because there lies a vague promise of large salaried job with low educational tension in them. So, every science student in this country study their brains out for two years to get into a college, where they do not have to study any more. Where the system itself will carry them inside the cubicle of a well-paid job.

My Interactions with the Exam

Recently, I took JEE. When I was younger, I aspired to be one of those rare science students who did not sit for the exam. But I failed to refrain myself from taking the test. But, I am happy to get it over with. Living with the thought of JEE being round the corner is sufficiently suffocating. In spite of the fact that the exam does not particularly attract me, a desire to crack it is inevitable. Thankfully, the load has escaped my shoulders and now, I can start living once again!

An attempt to draw myself in my JEE question paper (the eyes do not look like mine at all).

Since it is Over

After JEE, begins a new life. One once again starts recalling the things he/she likes, his/her passions.

My new life includes the new laptop I bought.

And my violin, which I am beginning to learn.

Awakened, I am, with a hope of light. And walk, I will, on the walk of life (and as far from JEE as I can)!