Prodigy Irradri Basu Khaund, West Bengal’s JEE Main 2024 Top Scorer with 99.99 Percentile!

Amidst the misty landscapes of Siliguri, where the aroma of steaming momos mingles with the sound of bustling streets, lies the tale of Irradri Basu Khaund, the 17-year-old wunderkind who has clinched the title of the JEE Main 2024 West Bengal Topper by securing a 99.9934104 percentile in the highly competitive exam!

When The Telegraph Online Edugraph connected with Irradri for an exclusive chat, his voice reverberated with the wisdom of a seasoned scholar, yet held the innocence of youth.

"I was born and brought up in Siliguri," Irradri began, his voice resonating with fond nostalgia. "My kindergarten years were spent in Jermels Academy opposite my home, and then I studied in Delhi Public School, Dagapur, Siliguri from classes 1 to 10. After CBSE, I shifted to the Darjeeling Public School for my plus 2 as it was more convenient for my JEE training schedule."

His journey, it seems, has been intricately woven with threads of determination and discipline. He informed us, “My preparatory routine for the last two years was quite strict. In fact, the lockdown years had sort of prepared me for the schedule that I had to maintain before taking the JEE Main."

As he delved deeper into his daily regimen, the picture became clearer - a meticulously arranged routine of classes, self-study sessions, and fleeting moments of leisure.

"At the very outset, it was made clear to me at my coaching institute that I had to strictly adhere to a daily schedule. That was very demanding. I had to start classes from 8AM which continued till 1PM. After a lunch break of 30 minutes, I had to immerse myself in self-study of various concepts, solving previous years’ question papers and taking mock tests until 7.30PM,” he told us, in a tone reflecting the weight of responsibility. “After returning home around 8PM, there was hardly any time left to do anything else. Dinnertime, from 10PM to 11PM, was the only slot when I enjoyed some of the series trending on OTT platforms.”

Yet, amidst the rigours of academic pursuit, Irradri found solace in the simplicity of his hobbies. Although he admitted with a hint of wistfulness in his voice, "I hardly had time to indulge in hobbies or other activities, But sometimes, I got to indulge in online chess playing, and that was a great way to unwind, " he added elatedly, “on holidays or Sundays, when I got some free time, I would spend the afternoon reading some of the books from my father’s collection. Fiction and, especially, thrillers are my favourite! I have finished ‘The Complete Short Stories of Roald Dahl’ recently."

But his journey was not without its challenges.

When The Telegraph Online Edugraph asked if there were any specific challenges or setbacks he had faced during the preparation phase and how he overcame them, Irradri shared, "I was lucky enough to not have to deal with any major mishaps in these years." His gratitude was palpable. "The only setbacks, if you may say so, was when I had to leave this daily regimen to attend to the usual school activities mandated by CBSE rules–the various assessments and practicals. But my school was very cooperative in this regard," he quickly added.

Throughout his journey, Irradri has found unwavering support from his teachers and mentors. "My teachers have played an immense role in whatever I have achieved today," he acknowledged in a voice tinged with reverence. "They saw potential in me and designed the studies for me in an appropriate manner. At my coaching institute, I was filtered out early on through a series of bimonthly tests and given higher difficulty level questions and Test series with increased rapidity based on my performances. My parents are my support system and together with my teachers, they worked to plan and solve any problems I had to face," Irradri asserted.

We were, of course, curious to know as to how his background or environment had influenced his approach to education and preparation for the JEE exam. Irradri affirmed, “Environment is everything in my studies. It was made clear to me from the very start of my training programme that I have to stay away from distractions of social media and mobile phones. I, personally, kept my smartphone away and began to use a feature phone for calling and/ or receiving calls only. The classroom provided a calm atmosphere that did not break my line of thought and focus during daytime.”

But, we wondered if a 17-year-old’s preparatory journey for the JEE Main 2024 exam could be entirely devoid of any memorable moments...

“There were some memorable moments… One was, when after a minor test, the results revealed that I had come out on top with 300/300 marks. That is when all my close batchmates pinned me down so that I would not be able to see my score sheet. It was a fun moment!” , Irradri gleefully reminisced.

When further asked, as the West Bengal topper, what advice would he give to aspiring engineering students aiming for similar success, a deeply humble Irradri said, “To all aspiring students, I would suggest to be clear-headed in your goals and plan beforehand. Follow a structured system with a scientific method of phased studies with increasing level of difficulty. Start with the NCERT books and try to cover the concepts in the first 6 months. Give the next 6 months to mock tests and solving previous years’ question papers. One should take tests every fortnight without fail, make detailed analyses of one’s drawbacks and clear one’s doubts as one carries on. If one is on a self-study mode, it becomes very important to get hold of tried and tested learning modules from reputed institutes.”

As our conversation drew to a close, Irradri's aspirations shone brightly against the backdrop of his achievements. "Right now, I have kept JEE matters on hold and am focused on dealing with CBSE class 12 exams which are just around the corner," he said determinedly. "Since childhood, I have had an inborn attraction towards Mathematics. It was and is my favourite subject. That is the main reason for me to seek an appropriate field which involves mathematical and computational skills to arrive at applications for life and society. My primary target is to study Computer Science in one of the top IITs, preferably IIT Bombay," he said decisively.

In Irradri Basu Khaund, we find not just a topper, but an embodiment of the power of passion and perseverance. As his journey unfolds, it serves as a reminder that amidst the chaos of life, true brilliance shines through with unwavering resolve and a heart full of dreams!