Achin Bansal

A 17-year-old boy Wednesday brought fame to this Punjab town like no one else ever. Achin Bansal topped the merit list of the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) joint entrance examination (JEE) among all students in the country.There were celebrations at his residence in this bustling but small town, about 250 km from state capital Chandigarh, with Achin and his parents - eminent medical practitioner Rajinder Kumar and mother Geeta - sharing their joy with family and friends.The young boy did his schooling till Class 12 from the Sada Ram Bansal memorial school - an educational institution started by his grandfather and father in the memory of his great-grandfather.But getting the top slot in the IIT-JEE is not the end of the road for him. 'I want to complete my engineering degree and try my luck at civil services. I would like to become an IAS (Indian Administrative Service) officer,' he said even as his parents listened attentively.His elder sister is pursuing an engineering course in information technology at Chandigarh.The standardized entrance exam for IITs is considered one of the toughest in the country, and tests candidates on their problem-solving skills in mathematics, physics and chemistry. Only about 5,000 students made it, representing an acceptance rate of 2%. A number of young aspirants, age 15 and above, leave home to live in educational atmospheres in places such as Kota in Rajasthan, where coaching institutes help them prepare for the exam. Achin received coaching during his vacations, travelling to Kota by train to attend the well-known Bansal Classes.