IIT their goal, Muslim students from state vie for a place in ‘Rahmani 30’

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Collaborating with Rahmani Foundation, Anjuman-I-Islam decided to start a similar preparatory medium last year for Muslim students in the state in addition to other states. This year, around 1,800 students from the state appeared for the written exams of which only 92 qualified for the second phase of the test. Izhar Shaikh (16), finds himself among those who have travelled the farthest. It took him 12 hours by train to reach Mumbai from Amravati.

He will not let go of something he calls “extraordinary”.

“My father has a tiles business – something I do not relate to. It is mechanical engineering that I find more appealing,” says Shaikh, who built a racing car as a part of his school’s exhibition.

A meek looking Hashir Raza from Kalyan stands out of the crowd with his a skull-cap. One of the youngest aspirants, Raza (14), scored full marks in Mathematics in his Class 9 finals. Having studied all his life in a Urdu-medium school, his only obstacle, he says, is conversing in English. “Maths drew me close to engineering, but questions put to me in English are intimidating,” says Raza, whose father is a teacher in a civic-run school.

Hamza Momin (17) from Pune is confident of making it to the final list of students and achieve what his father did not.

He is interested in robotics, which he plans to pursue abroad after he gets through, hopefully, into an IIT and acquiring an engineering degree. “Financial constraints did not let my father study engineering, so he wanted me to pursue it,” says Momin, who secured 89 per cent in his Class 9 exams.

After a couple of rounds of tests which took place in April, the youngsters eagerly wait for their turn to give the technical test followed by the behavioural interview held on Wednesday. The concluding rounds are set to go on till 10 pm, but the aspirants show no sign of tiredness, whatsoever.

aamir.khan@expressindia.com