City Bal Puraskar winner wants to be a scientist, help poor kids

Nine-year-old Rishi Shiv Prasanna was feted for his innovation as an app creator

Congratulatory calls, handshakes, and hugs haven’t ceased coming Rishi Shiv Prasanna’s way since he bagged the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar, India’s highest civilian honour for children, on January 23.

When Metrolife asked the nine-year-old from Banashankari why he was feted, he said with a giggle: “For my innovation. I have made Android apps like IQ Test app, Countries Of The World, and CHB (Covid Help Bengaluru).” These are “three major apps” of the 30 he has built, his mother Recheshwari S pointed out.

This is just one aspect of his genius. At four years and a half, he became a member of Mensa International, a UK-based society for people with high IQ, because, with a score of 180, his IQ is higher than that of the greatest physicist Albert Einstein. A Class 3 student with science knowledge ahead of his learning curve, he has authored two books — ‘Learn Vitamins with Harry Potter’, and ‘Elements of Earth’. His next is a fiction series on an alien kidnapping school kids. He also posts educational content on his YouTube channel ‘RishiShiv Show’.

Being super-brainy, Rishi is subjected to ‘Do you know...?’ quiz all the time. “If he is playing, he will sweetly decline the question. If he has time, he will go on and on about the solar system or quiz you back,” said Recheshwari.

What was Recheshwari like at her son’s age? The business analyst from Mysuru shared over a laugh: “I reported an autorickshaw driver who was running away with my father’s blazers and got him arrested. I had memorised the auto number.” As for her husband and fellow Mysurean Prasanna Kumar, he could read English competently at age eight given that “back then, English subject was introduced in government schools in Class 5.” Prasanna is now a professor of computer science.

Despite their capabilities, Recheshwari admitted it is a “challenge” to keep up with their wonder kid, who started identifying the colour cyan at two and coding at five, and who can write a test anytime. “He finds classroom lessons boring sometimes, so we are supplementing his learning with the curriculum of Class 6-7 online,” she shared. The couple doesn’t want to enrol him in a higher grade because they want him to socialise with his age-group. And he loves it. “I like playing with my friends, talking, and doing mischief,” added Rishi. He also loves chess, rapping, dancing, and K-pop band BTS.

As our interview drew to a close, Rishi said he wants to become a scientist to save ‘Mother Earth’ from pollution. He pitched his second dream to Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the award function. “He said ‘I want to provide education and health support to underprivileged children. How can you help me?’ The prime minister put him on to (women and child development minister) Smriti Irani,” Recheshwari said.