JEE-Advanced 2020 topper picks Massachusetts Institute of Technology over studying in India

Chirag Falor, topper of one of the ‘toughest competitive exams’ has chosen Massachusetts Institute of Technology over the acclaimed Indian Institute of Technology.

The Pune-based boy scored 352 out of 396 marks on the JEE-Advanced 2020 test and wants to become a researcher in astrophysics, according to a report by The Times of India. Falor has been preparing for this exam since he was in Class XI, and has chosen astronomy and physics over engineering.

“I have always loved the stars, planets, etc. Looking at my love for the sky, my father bought me my first telescope in Class VIII and I knew then that when I grow up, I would want to take up research in astrophysics,” said Falor, the report added.

The student gave up his IIT seat to attend classes at the MIT, which has already begun online classes.

Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal took to Twitter to congratulate the candidates who cleared the exam, saying, “I congratulate all students of #JEEAdvanced who got their desired rank and request them to work for #AtmaNirbharBharat in the near future. Plenty of opportunities are available for students who couldn't get their desired rank. Students should remember that an exam cannot define them," the minister said.

The move highlights a certain education trend in India, as students choose to study abroad after their 12th exams.

In the past, Pokhriyal has envisioned a quality in the Indian education system similar to that of universities abroad, and also listed out possibilities for achieving the same with the implementation of the New Education Policy.

Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra had said that if the states are able to implement the policy in a successful manner, the new education system will bring India at par with the leading countries of the world and convert the challenges of the present into opportunities.