LAUSR

The JEE (Advanced) (formerly known as IIT–JEE) is regarded as one of the toughest engineering entrance examinations in the world and is one of the most difficult examinations of India to qualify. Over a million students compete every year. It is a dream of several aspirants to be on the list of toppers. A snapshot of IIT–JEE all India one rankers of the last 40 years shows that 15 of them obtained bachelor’s degree from IIT Bombay, 13 from IIT Kanpur, 4 each from IIT Delhi and IIT Madras, and 4 migrated to the US to pursue under-graduation. In most cases, they chose computer science (32), followed by physics (4), electrical (3) and robotics (1). It may be relevant to note that majority of them moved to USA for higher studies and obtained M S/Ph D from the world’s top rated institutions (Table 1). Curiously, if a bright Indian student wants to study for a doctorate at a top rated university in any field of science and technology, he/she is forced to study overseas. Not surprisingly, majority of the toppers, who complete their M S/ Ph D from a foreign university, remain overseas, either in a university/institution or corporate sectors.