Move over IITs! City topper chooses MIT for engineering

He scored 190 in the Maharashtra Technical Common Entrance Test (MT-CET) result that was declared on Wednesday and scored 330 out of 360 in Joint Entrance Exam (JEE-Mains). The teenager wants to pursue engineering and with his marks, sky is the limit.

What's more, the boy has been accepted by both IIT and MIT (USA).

Medals galore: u00a0Praffula Dhariwal who was selected in MIT, with his parents Sushil and Alka

"In class XII I studied throughout the year and my special focus was on JEE preparations as I wanted to study in IIT. But now, I am more than happy that I have also been selected in MIT," he said.

When asked if it is a tough choice to make, he said, "Absolutely! Both institutes are the best. Fortunately, MIT is providing me a scholarship that includes both tuition fees and residential facilities. That's why I have decided to go to MIT."

Proud moment
After the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) distributed the HSC mark sheets in junior colleges on Thursday, Dhariwal also bagged the prestigious Abasaheb Naravne memorial award of Rs 1,000 for securing highest marks in the Physics-Chemistry-Mathematics (PCM) group.

Apart from being a model student, Dhariwal has also represented India at the International Astronomy Olympiad Competition held in China when he was in Std IX. Within three years, he again got selected from all over India to be a part of the team that participated in the International Mathematics Olympiad held in Argentina. What's more, he will also be going to Denmark between July 7 and July 15 to participate in the International Physics Olympiad. Praffula is a student of Late P B Jog High school and Junior College. His mother Alka is a teacher in an engineering college who teaches Fluid Mechanics. His father, Sushil, is a Btech and having his own ceramics' company. "When Std XII began, I asked him to concentrate only on JEE preparations. However, he participated in all academic activities. Fortunately, no two exams have overlapped this year," said Alka.

Step by step
When asked where does he see himself in a decade from now, the sensible chap said, "I have not decided yet. I will only focus on studies. After finishing my engineering, I would like to join the research sector where I will get an opportunity to create something useful."u00a0