INTERVIEW WITH IIT TOPPER

He has trounced the myth that an urban environment is mandatory for cracking the toughest exam of the country. He has been a merit holder in the eighth, tenth and the twelfth Punjab Board exams. From the classroom of Sadaram Bansal Memorial Senior Secondary School in Kotkapura, a small town in Punjab to the erudite corridors of IIT, the journey has been blended with hope, confidence and an elephantine will power.
In an exclusive interview with 2007 IIT topper, Achin Bansal tells Vikas his mantra for success, his recipe for academic acumen, his intellectual trajectory and much more.
What are the factors that have made you notch the highest rank in the JEE exam?
Regular hard work, determination and confidence. After I entered my eleventh grade, I would put in regular 8-10 hours for IIT preparations. Whenever I would study, it would be with full concentration. Concentration is a vital key to success. One can study for 16 hours minus concentration. This will not fructify any positive results.
When did you seriously started thinking on writing the JEE exam?
I had always been standing first in my class from the sixth standard. My father is a doctor but I wanted to become an engineer. I wanted to inhale the aroma of the best engineering institute of the country. The initial desire to study in IIT filtered into me when I entered the ninth standard. Till the tenth one can do well through rote learning. But IIT exam requires a different set of knowledge. The fundas have to be cleared and you should have a good analytical capacity.
How did you prepare for the exams?
I use to solve all the problems of different books. And yes, I attended the Bansal classes in Kota during my summer vacations and whenever I felt the need to be guided. The lectures and assignments of Bansal classes have groomed me a lot for the exam. Then I used to always participate in the various competitions that were held in the Bansal classes. I was mostly ranked between one to ten in these competitions. This bolstered my confidence a lot.
Where would you like to join? What do you intend doing after your BTech?
I am planning to join Computer Science in IIT Mumbai. Mumbai offers a plethora of co-curricular activities. There are many options after engineering. I can do MBA, MS or M Tech. Frankly speaking I have not yet decided anything firmly.
Did anyone motivate you to study?
Yes, my parents, my teachers. But success comes only if the motivation is from within. I was never under any duress to study. It was my own will power and desire to excel. Without these two factors any amount of coaching will not reap any results.
In your dictionary, what is more important hard work or intelligence?
It is 80 percent hard work, five percent intelligence and the rest is what we say fate or destiny.
Do small cities have disadvantage as far as coaching is concerned?
Yes, certainly. Good coaching and proper guidance are the two vital ingredients for cracking the exam
Any advice you would like to prescribe for the aspirants?
Work very hard. There is no other prescription but hard work. But when you inch close to your exam, be relaxed. Stress can sometimes hamper results. Quality of study is important. Quantity is not important. Your target should be clear. Work hard and leave the rest to God.
How did you react when you saw your result?
I was confident on getting a rank amongst the first ten. My parents were busy ringing up to find out about the results as the web line traffic was intense. Finally when I got my roll no on the computer screen with ranking as 1, my first reaction was that it was an error. ?There should have one more figure after one.? So I kept checking the results again and again till finally the verdict was clear.
Was it all books and tutorials or you took out time for recreation?
I used to watch a movie once a month. I am also very fond of sports. But then academics was my sole priority.
How are you celebrating your success?
I have thrown a party for my friends in Kota. There are some more parties on the sleeve. Then there were a lot of media interviews. I am doing a lot of net surfing these days. And yes, I just watched Chini Kum movie.
And lastly what helped you in your moments of stress?
My Dadaji always used to say believe in God. He gave me the Hanuman Chalisa and that is the best gift that I have I ever got. This transmits strength and gives me power to weather any vicissitude.