Meet the ‘gem’ of TCS iON IntelliGem

"Last year when I couldn't make it to the list of finalists, I asked one of the judges where I went wrong. They told me that since I was afraid, I fumbled here and there. So, this time I just enjoyed the process," Devi said.

Hyderabad: Telangana has produced several champions in various fields over the years, and now the State has another young achiever to celebrate. Beating over 50 students from schools across over 180 cities from 27 States, Hyderabad’s Devi Kashyap has won the third edition of TCS iON IntelliGem Contest.

A student of Standard IX, Meridian School For Boys And Girls, emerged as the sole winner from Telangana in the senior category (Universal Values) at the national-level competition. TCS iON IntelliGem helps students gain 21st century skills through a contest format. It was conducted for students of Grades V to IX in three stages — qualifiers, pre-finals and a national-level Grand Finale.

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Devi was part of the contest last year as well. She wasn’t able to make it to the Grand Finale though. This time however, the young participant decided to not stress out about failure and just do her best. “Last year when I couldn’t make it to the list of finalists, I asked one of the judges where I went wrong. They told me that since I was afraid, I fumbled here and there. So, this time I just enjoyed the process,” Devi said.

Devi’s subject for this competition was ‘Universal Values’, and the young champion dedicated one hour everyday to read up on the topic. But, what are ‘Universal Values’? “These are values that all humans — across countries, religion and race — believe in. Such as dignity, freedom, free speech, et cetera. I learned about these things from the people around me, as much as I did from books.”

“I used the booklet provided by TCS iON as a reference point. However, I read up several stories related to the topic on the internet. Also, talking to my teachers and parents helped a lot,” she added. The 14-year-old, who is thrilled after winning the competitions, shares that she can’t say no to any competition.

“I like to participate in various things. I have represented my school in basketball competitions, tabla contests and several quizzes. I am always up for a challenge. It gives me something new to learn, and that excites me.”

Devi aims to work in the field of medicine someday. “When I was five, I wanted to be a doctor. But as I started finding out more about the field, I started getting attracted to the field of medicines. They are the people who run the show from behind the curtains, and I would like to be one of them. In fact, I want to work with the United Nations’ agency World Health Organization (WHO),” Devi concludes.

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