Editorial

When all of us are feeling that the person who got the first rank in AIIMS entrance exam must be in the 7th heaven, jumping with joy, we got a little jolt. The boy who got the first rank in AIIMS entrance and the 1636 rank in JEE (IIT), has already preferred to join civil engineering in IIT Delhi.

This is not an isolated incident. If Savinay Kapoor got the first rank in AIIMS Entrance Exam, Satwik Dudeja got the only seat reserved for handicapped children in medical but Satwik chose to join IIT Delhi.

He could get electrical engineering. If this is a question of pure taste, it is understandable. But the reason mooted by Savinay was that in order to specialise in medicine it takes much longer. True. Whatever may be the reason, the fact remains that many students prepare for both, some go for medical stream, and some for engineering although qualified for both.

The real reason for the switching is that it was parental pressure which makes them prepare for medical or engineering, then the student finally makes his choice. Switching for a stream of one s choice is made at the last moment by the student according to his motivation. That alone is the best choice. An engineer, Dr. Bhabha, took mathematics and then went for physics and become FRS in his early twenties. He did use every skill of his in building the atomic facilities.

Our advice to the students is this. Whatever you choose, work hard to be the best. One should choose what one is good at and what one likes most. If one has the passion for a subject, one can acquire the skills Skill without passion will not make one a scientist. Once a choice is made, one has to like subject with a positive approach. A profession or a course of study may be chosen by you or by your parents. Instead of feeling that the grass on the other side of the fence is greener, stick to your garden and make it greener than those of others.

A burning motivation to excel and a total dedication are the keys for success, no matter what you do or where you go.