Ask him if he can make a bomb and he laughs! Awards and accolades were always his best friends. Diwakar from Lucknow, is one of the eight students selected from all over the world for a PhD in chemical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

A child prodigy, he has been to the Astronomy Olympiad in Russia when he was in the 10th standard. He was also among the few students from India who participated in the Robotics Olympiad in Canada when he was in the 12th standard.

IIT experience

It has been an awesome experience. The IIT-JEE is tough and you expect that the course will also be very tough, which is not the case. It is like a regular school where you have to work continuously throughout the year.

When you are in IIT, you get the feeling that you are better then the rest, which builds your confidence. And this confidence gets you very far in life. The faculty and facilities at IIT have been excellent and I enjoyed every moment of my five years at IIT.

Success mantra

I work very hard, am very focussed on studies and I attend all sessions. I don't have a specific study schedule, it's very erratic. If I get interested in a particular subject or project then I can spend 24 hours on it!

Interests

I like playing cricket and reading books. I'm interested in electronics too. I have participated in robotics competitions and won prizes.

Next move

I'm going to MIT for PhD. Chemical engineering has a lot of scope, especially in today's context of rising fuel prices. With oil touching $70 a barrel, it is imperative that we start working on alternate sources of energy.

Nanotechnology is another very interesting subject. My research will be on these subjects.

Advice to IIT aspirants

Work is duty. You have to really slog it out to get through the test. You should be motivated and work really hard. Never give up!

Photograph: Diwakar Shukla, Topper, M Tech dual degree in Chemical Engineering.