Prithvi Teja - IIT JEE 2011 - Topper Interview

Andhra Pradesh boy Prithvi Teja topped the prestigious IIT JEE in 2011. Seventeen year old Prithvi is from the rural area of West Godavari district.

Prithvi Teja had expected to do well in the IIT-JEE and be among the top rankers however he had never dreamt that he was going to be the top ranker.

The boy credited his success to the two mantras of "no tension" and "following your elders".

"If you want to be successful in any thing you do, don't take too much stress," he told us just before he was packing up to fly to Bangkok for the Physics Olympiad.

A product of Vishwabharati School in Gudivada and Chaitanya College, Vijaywada, Prithvi is the son of a jeweller Srinivas Rao.

Given below is his interview with rediff.com's Mohammed Siddique in which he has described about his preparations, his hobbies and what makes him so cool.

Did you expect such a great result?
 No. I did not expect that I would get the first rank but I was sure that I would be among the top 20 or 30.

When the result came I was shocked and surprised. In fact I was not tense on the result day and was enjoying myself as the key was released in advance and I was happy with my performance.

How did you get the idea of going for the IIT?
It all started with the IIT foundation coaching they had at my school and my preparations had begun there and then it continued at the college.

Was there any pressure on you from your teachers or the parents to do well?
No. In fact my parents (mother Rani and father Srinivas Rao) were there with me on the day of the exams. They encouraged me a lot and told me that I will do well. From the beginning they wanted me to go for the IIT.

Were you tense during the examination?
Not at all! In fact I watched a Telugu movie a day before the exam. It was my way of keeping my mind relaxed.

Do you like watching movies?
Yes. Even during the college I used to go to the theatre once every 2 weeks. I like Pavan Kalyan as a hero very much. He is an inspiration of sorts.

What are you planning to do next?
I have decided to take admission in IIT Bombay as this I think is the best in the country. That is what my teachers have told me. I want to pursue electrical engineering because I like the subject.

What is your final goal in life?
My main goal is to join the Indian civil service and become an IAS officer because that is the most influential and powerful position. I feel that the easiest way to enter the civil services is through IIT.

Why do you want to be an IAS officer?
I want to serve the nation and society. I hate corruption. I have promised to myself, I will be incorruptible and will fight against the corruption because this is the biggest problem and threat our nation is facing.

What was your schedule of studies in the college?
I used to study everyday for 10 hours and sleep 8 hours a day. I used to play badminton for one hour every day and also watched the cricket matches.

How do you feel about the all round adulation you are getting? The newspapers are full of your story? You also met the Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy.
I am very happy and thankful to everybody. It is really great. I was happy to meet the Chief Minister who told me to keep it up and continue the hard work.

What you would like to tell the junior students who might by looking at you as a role model?
Follow what elders tell you, I mean both the teachers and parents. They are our well wishers. Do hard work but don't take too much tension or stress.

You must study with a perfect plan.

The college completed the syllabus (Intermediate or Junior college two years course) in 14 months and for six months there was revision. The remaining time was spent in practicing the IIT-JEE papers.

Prithvi Teja on HBDB with Adilmohd on Etv Urdu 14th Jun E24.