Bangalore boy wins bronze in US Olympiad

BANGALORE: A Bangalore boy has made his mark at the US Physics Olympiad. Rahul Rai, a class 12 student of AECS Magnolia Maruti Public School on Bannerghetta Road, has won the bronze medal in the semi finals held in May - he was in the top 25% of the competition. The US Physics Olympiad is conducted by the American Institute of Physics Teachers and American Institute of Physics. The top five students are selected to represent the US in the international Physics Olympiad. A former student of NPS Koramangala, Rahul is a familiar face at Olympiads now - Maths, Physics and Linguistics. "Olympiads are the ultimate challenge. You are showing your mastery over the subject. It is the highest level of exam that a high school student could get. If you enjoy the subject, Olympiads are fun tests to crack. They have all new innovative questions that will set you thinking," he said. Rahul had to crack six questions in three hours for the second round of the US Olympiad. The two rounds were online. "You need to know the subject well for the Olympiads. My preparations for the IIT Joint Entrance Exam (JEE) helped me in going a long way. Apart from that, there are a lot of other books I read on various topics," he said. Linguistic Olympiad, he says, is more of fun because it does not need preparation like other subjects. A sports fan, Rahul, now, is part of a team which is making prep material for Olympiads. "When we started preparing for the competitions, we did not have much to rely upon except for a few past papers. So, we are making some materials including video lectures," he said. Rahul is the son of a doctor and an entrepreneur. "I am preparing for JEE. But I am also looking at opportunities for education in the US. The courses there are more open, in terms of subjects that can be opted. Also, opportunities for research are also good there," he said. For the 17-year-old, the competition was an experience worth cherishing: "I was the only Indian in the competition outside the US. It was nice to be standing out." -TOI