Vignesh Nataraj Kumar was in total disbelief after hearing that he had topped Karnataka Common Entrance Test (KCET) 2023. Although he was expecting to be in the top 20, the Bengaluru boy secured the first rank by scoring 97.8% in the examination. The KCET results were announced on Thursday morning by Karnataka higher education minister MC Sudhakar. A total of 2.4 lakh students appeared for the test and over 2 lakh students are eligible for engineering and technology based on their merit. Like any other engineering graduate, Kumar too carries an IIT dream. However, he wants to use technology and innovation to help people suffering with neuro divergent disorders, like autism, down syndrome among others. Speaking to The Indian Express, Kumar said, "My preference lies between computer science and electronics and communication engineering. Based on readings, I have learnt that technology has played a pivotal role in making the lives of of people suffering from neuro divergent disorders much easier and streamline their entry into society." Although establishing a startup is his ultimate vision, Kumar right now is working on getting his basics right and setting a foundation for understanding the technical concepts. "This domain piqued my interest because of certain personal influences in childhood and this is something I feel very passionate about," he said. As for preparations, Kumar believes that speed and accuracy are the two most essential practices for the KCET exam. In addition, he believes that handling exam stress and solving previous year's question papers should be some of the practices to excel in competitive exams. "Since CET is a time-restrictive exam, speed and accuracy are very important. You need to go through all the concepts and apply the appropriately during the examination. I usually prefer NCERT textbooks to clear my theories," said Kumar. He also added that, "one needs to have a good exam temperament to face the examination. Nothing should disturb you when you are preparing for the exam." Kumar also secured eighth rank in both Pharma D and B.Pharma branches.
