Seventeen-year-old Saurabh Singh from Narhai in Uttar Pradesh has put his state on the NASA map. 

Saurabh has topped NASA's International Scientist Discovery exam.

Reports said the Class 12 student even bettered his idol, Indian President APJ Abdul Kalam, who finished seventh in the test in 1960.

The other Indian who performed well in the NASA exam was Kalpana Chawla, who died in the Columbia space shuttle disaster. She had stood 21st in 1988.

But unlike his illustrious predecessors, Saurabh had never heard of NASA till he began preparing for his IIT entrance exams.

Saurabh and his proud parents are now awaiting the call from NASA.