Neelakantha Bhanu Prakash: The fastest human calculator is on a mission to eradicate math phobia
Compiled by: Amrita Priya
(May 3, 2023) In 2020, a 20-year-old Neelakantha Bhanu Prakash broke human computer Shakuntala Devi’s record when he won India’s first ever gold medal at the Mental Calculation World Championship held in London. He wasn’t just the first Indian but also the first Asian to claim a gold and the BBC went on to report, “You could say Neelakantha Bhanu Prakash is to maths what Usain Bolt is to running.”
This was his competition debut and Neelakantha managed to defeat 29 opponents from 13 countries. He was so fast that judges made him jump through more hoops and make even tougher calculations to confirm his extraordinary accuracy.
Three years have passed since then and the Hyderabad based youngster has visited more than 23 countries, conducted more than 500 stage shows and impacted two million students with a mission to eradicate maths phobia. Neelakantha, who holds 50 Limca records for his extraordinary math calculations founded his company Bhanzu, a math ed-tech platform that aims to revolutionise the global math learning landscape. In 2022, Forbes featured the Global Indian in its 30 Under 30 Asia list, for making a difference to the math learning environment through his social entrepreneurship.
Neelakantha Bhanu Prakash
Making adversity an advantage
Born in in Eluru in Andhra Pradesh, Neelakantha suffered a head injury in 2005, which left him bedridden for one year. However, instead of being bogged down by adversity, he picked up math and mental calculation as a hobby and worked to hone his skills. When he finally recuperated, he entered the competition circuit.
“My parents were told I might be cognitively impaired. So, I picked up mental maths calculations for survival, to keep my brain engaged,” he told the BBC in an interview.
Over the years, the math stalwart has bagged many gold medals and has held world records for fast arithmetic calculations. He has also won the International Speed Math Championship ’13 and the National Speed Math Championship ’11 and ’12. In 2015, he won the Math Genius Award.
After he graduated from Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’s Public School (Vidyashram) Hyderabad, he went on to study at St. Stephen’s College, Delhi and earned a BSc honours degree in Mathematics.
Neelakantha with his trophies when he was 10 years of age
Helping get rid of maths phobia
In one of his many TEDx talks Neelakantha asked the audience, “Why is maths something that we universally accept as important but are always consistently scared of?” It’s a phobia he hopes to remove from the minds of young students. Neelakantha has been working to make youngsters understand mathematics in such a way that they are able to engage with the subject more fully.
In the TEDx talk he remarked, “250 million students in India are currently in schools learning math. Out of these, more than 187 million students cannot do simple math calculations. It is not okay to be in a position where fundamental skills – literacy and numeracy are still not achieved.”
In order to inspire children and teach them to love mathematics, his company Bhanzu offers a special curriculum that makes math a fun activity, which is relatable and can be used in daily life.
Maths – a mental sport
Mental math is a sport, Neelakantha believes. He has trained his mind to think quickly, whether it is in Math or something else. He doesn’t, however, like to be called a prodigy, saying it is not an ability he was born with, but something he developed with hard work. As a child, he would spend over six hours a day practicing, after school.
“I look at it as “unstructured practise where I keep thinking about numbers all the time,” he said in an interview.”I practice with loud music on, when I’m talking to people, catching and playing cricket, because this is when your brain is being trained to do multiple things at the same time,” he added.
Considering it his duty to promote math as something ‘enjoyable’ the math wizard is on a mission to ‘eradicate math phobia and explore infinite capabilities of the human brain’.
(July 20, 2022) Thirteen-year-old K Prisha is often addressed as "Dr Prisha" in Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, and rightly so. The prodigy has been honoured with not just one but three honorary doctorates for her spectacular achievements in yoga and social service — from the University of Jerusalem Medical College & Hospitals, Vellore (2019), Indian Empire University, Chennai (2021), and World Tamil University of USA (2021). [caption id="attachment_19534" align="aligncenter" width="599"] K Prisha, yoga prodigy[/caption] In 2018 and again in 2019, Prisha brought home the gold in the international yoga championships held in Mayalsia and Thailand. She’s also the youngest yoga teacher for the blind and has been certified by the NCPCR, government of India and holds up to 70 world records for a plethora of skills – yoga, swimming, blind-folded cycling, skating, ambidextrous writing, solving the Rubik’s Cube, Aqua Yoga and more. Global University, Missouri, USA, recognised Prisha as the youngest person to hold the maximum number of world records. This little bundle of talent has even written a book, Yoga Indrae Seivom Inbum Peruvom, in Tamil, highlighting the benefits of the 5,000-year-old ancient Indian therapy to prevent and cure three common diseases – diabetes, asthma, and blood pressure. [caption id="attachment_19535" align="aligncenter" width="831"] Prisha's room-full of awards[/caption] Such
ognised Prisha as the youngest person to hold the maximum number of world records. This little bundle of talent has even written a book, Yoga Indrae Seivom Inbum Peruvom, in Tamil, highlighting the benefits of the 5,000-year-old ancient Indian therapy to prevent and cure three common diseases – diabetes, asthma, and blood pressure.
[caption id="attachment_19535" align="aligncenter" width="831"] Prisha's room-full of awards[/caption]
Such is her command of yoga therapy that people in Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry flock to her for treatment and workshops. "Yoga improves immunity, stamina, and focus." I have been doing it since I was one-year-old, "Prisha tells Global Indian. It has helped her "get superpowers," she says, claiming she can "bend a spoon if I want by looking at it (telekinesis)." She’s so attuned to her senses and surroundings that she can ride a bicycle or cook blindfolded.
I can body scan for healing diseases and also make future predictions with the deep focus that I have attained from yoga and meditation - K Prisha
Teacher and healer who is sought by many
The youngster, who has an impressive collection of over 200 medals, awards, and certificates that she bagged in state-wide, national, and international competitions and events, teaches yoga every day to the visually-challenged. She has also been teaching the elderly in old age homes, and NCC cadets, apart from conducting numerous workshops for people from different walks of life. With her guidance, visually challenged students have found a drastic improvement in their eyesight. Schoolkids have also enhanced their focus, and the elderly and those who suffered from COVID-19 are able to lead healthier lives. One of her visually impaired students even went on to break a world record in yoga.
[caption id="attachment_19541" align="aligncenter" width="654"] Prisha with her visually impaired students[/caption]
It all started at home...
Yoga flows in the family. Since Prisha's mother, G Devi Priya, a lawyer by qualification and a yoga teacher by passion, was deeply seeped in it, the prodigy started showing interest in it when she was just one year old. She could do some asanas even before she could walk. The legacy starts with her grandmother, who is a professor of Yoga in Pondicherry. So far, Devi Priya has been her first and only guru, under whose guidance the teen has made extraordinary achievements.
Despite being a gold-medalist in law and MSc in naturopathy and yoga, Devi Priya has been completely focused on managing her multi-talented daughter’s schedules, travelling with her for workshops and competitions.
Her father, Karthik Rajendran, is a businessman and sports enthusiast who has inspired Prisha to excel in sports and martial arts like tennis and karate. At the age of seven, she participated in state and national level crossbow shooting and won gold medal in both. The multi-talented teen has a blue belt in karate and has won several competitions in it as well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfkTKEO3Gz0
However, the love for yoga surpasses all. "I want to become a doctor of naturopathy and spread awareness of yoga throughout the world," says the teenager, who has been invited as a judge at the National Youth Festival conducted by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and as chief guest to an event at Nehru Yuva Kendra, a Government of India entity. The youngster’s list of achievements never seems to end. She has been invited to several television programmes covering her extraordinary talent, and has been leaving people awestruck with her ability to instantly choreograph any dance number while possessing a great ear for music.
Yoga for a good life
The standard eight student of Meena Shankar Vidyalaya School, Tirunelveli, looks at her passion to teach yoga as a vehicle of the common good, so that even the vulnerable, like the differently-abled, can benefit and lead a wholesome life. Her dream is impressive — to adopt a village and teach yoga to everyone there.
[caption id="attachment_19546" align="aligncenter" width="847"] Prisha participating in a yoga competition, a few years ago[/caption]
In August 2022, the golden girl of yoga will be heading to Malaysia for a 16-day workshop organised by the Malaysian Association for the Blind. In the same month, she will be travelling to Dubai to receive the Global Child Prodigy award, which will be conferred to 99 other youngsters from across the globe.
(January 6, 2021) Singing the Indian national anthem evokes fervour and patriotism. Some hum the British and American ones. Well, not fully, but at least some words! Yet, this Indian boy’s anthem repertoire is something that will take you aback. The 15-year-old Indian anthemologist Yathaarth Murthy is a two-time Limca Book of Records holder for singing the highest number of anthems in the world. He disarms with his eager smile as he shares how he mastered a whopping 260 national anthems – that is how many there are in the world, incidentally! That’s not all, this teen is also an avid environmentalist and was one of the 20 winners of the India 20 Under 20 organised by White Canvas, a mentoring organisation recognised by Niti Ayog. Born and raised in Bengaluru, Yathaarth’s first tryst with anthems happened when his Hindustani classical music teacher tutored him to perform anthems of four countries – India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Japan -- on the keyboard. “That was back in 2014. It got me hooked. I liked the lyrics and wanted to explore more anthems. So, I began researching on YouTube and Wikipedia, and taught myself several more countries’ anthems,” the Indian anthemologist tells Global Indian. Onward on, one anthem at a time Anthem spurting became a passion for the student of Vidyashilp Academy. “It lit a spark and there was no
wp-image-9313 aligncenter" src="https://www.globalindian.com/youth//wp-content/uploads/2022/01/IMG_31791.jpg" alt="Indian Teen | Yathaarth Murthy | Global Indian Youth" width="417" height="640" />
Onward on, one anthem at a time
Anthem spurting became a passion for the student of Vidyashilp Academy. “It lit a spark and there was no turning back,” he says. Soon he was spending hours pouring over anthems of different nations. While he understood the gist of a few, he enjoyed the lyrics and tunes too.
While Yathaarth, the only child of architect parents, found the accents and pronunciation a bit difficult, he kept at it. “The first few tries were difficult. As I continued to practice, I got a hang of the pronunciations too. Before I knew it, I was able to sing more than 100 anthems,” says Yathaarth. Incidentally, the term “anthemologist” was something he coined to describe his unique feat.
[caption id="attachment_9312" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Yathaarth Murthy with Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai[/caption]
It was around this time in 2017, that he told his mother about wanting to apply to the Limca Book of Records. To his surprise, he had in fact made the record. That’s how a young Bengalurean came to hold the Limca record for singing the highest number of anthems – 112 at the time. “When I first picked up learning these various anthems, I didn’t think I’d one day become a record holder or a TEDx speaker,” says the class 10 student. Yet, he soon broke his own record when he learnt all 260 anthems, and once again set a new Limca record in 2019.
Saving the environment, one lake at a time
As a primary school student, Yathaarth used to love watching TedX videos and wanted to be on the hallowed platform himself. His dream soon came true when he was invited to deliver his first TED talk in 2018 at age 12. “My first talk was about my journey as an anthemologist,” says the youth who has so far given four TED talks, the most recent in December 2020. The topics have been varied: environment, anthems, and on pursuing one’s dreams.
After he’d set his second Limca record, Yathaarth wondered, “What next?” “How could I give back to the community and do something meaningful? It was around then that I began learning more and more about the environment and climate change. I watched Greta Thunberg’s speeches. Shortly, I began working in the environment sphere in my own small way,” he adds.
Soon, Yathaarth was holding climate strikes and working on a school project for the World Federation of UN Association which earned him more accolades in 2019. “I worked on a project with four friends. We decided to revive Manae, a 4.5 acre lake on the outskirts of Bengaluru. The city was once filled with beautiful lakes, but today most are highly polluted or encroached upon,” says the environmentalist, who launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise Rs 8.27 lakh for the lake’s revival. He worked with Anand Malligavad, also known as the Lake Man of India, to revive the lake and would often visit the lake in his free time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IVIcvIMKhU
“When we first visited the lake, we could see the barren lakebed and there was barely any flora and fauna. Today, the lake is thriving and hosts various birds like peacocks, has beautiful flora and is the water source for a neighbouring village,” beams the boy who still visits the lake sometimes. His work to revive this lake earned him a spot on White Canvas’ India 20 Under 20 list.
Making time count
Anthems and the environment apart, Yathaarth is also a basketball and music lover. As he gears up for his board exams, he has already begun planning for a future as a diplomat representing India at the United Nations. “I’ve chosen sociology, global perspective, history, and environment management, so I can apply to colleges abroad, and work towards working with the UN,” says the teen who spent the better part of the pandemic trying to conduct relief work. From distributing food to the needy through the iCare brigade to organising Housie for a Cause, and diverting funds towards Covid relief, Yathaarth has been busy doing his bit to spread cheer in otherwise dismal times.
(November 14, 2024) One afternoon in Toronto, Riya Karumanchi was at a friend's house when she noticed her friend's grandmother, who was visually impaired, moving slowly and carefully around the room. The woman relied on her white cane, tapping it as she went, trying to feel her way through. The scene left a powerful impression on young Riya. "She was bumping into a lot of things, trying to get around," Riya recalled. "She told me the device she was using was literally just a stick. And it's never been updated." That ordinary white cane, a standard for over a century, suddenly looked painfully outdated and insufficient. Riya could not shake the question: Why hadn't anyone improved this? From that moment, Riya was on a mission. Her idea was simple yet revolutionary: visually impaired people deserve modern tools, just like everyone else. She founded SmartCane, a high-tech reimagining of the white cane that uses haptic-based GPS navigation and ultrasonic sensors to guide visually impaired users safely. "It was just so baffling to me," Riya said in an interview, "that nobody invented and innovated on something so traditional. And it’s been like that for so long." [caption id="attachment_40362" align="aligncenter" width="471"] Riya Karumanchi[/caption]
g class="wp-image-40362 size-full" src="https://www.globalindian.com/youth/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/riya23.webp" alt="SmartCane | Riya Karumanchi | Global Indian" width="471" height="480" /> Riya Karumanchi[/caption]
Riya’s work quickly expanded. Over the past few years, she has launched two med tech companies. In addition to SmartCane, she founded another company focused on developing a wearable device for monitoring patients in retirement homes. Her work on this led her to join Deloitte’s aging technology team, where she led an innovation project to develop a wearable device powered by machine learning to predict falls up to three weeks in advance, aiming to improve the quality of life and independence for elderly users.
Turning Vision into Reality
With each step, Riya spent hours researching assistive technologies, often surprised by how overlooked the accessibility community was. “There are so many unsolved problems around the world,” she explained. “The accessibility community was a huge group that was being left behind!” Her goal went beyond improving one device—she wanted to set a new standard for inclusive innovation.
[caption id="attachment_40360" align="aligncenter" width="753"] Riya with SmartCane[/caption]
With the SmartCane, Riya wanted to bridge a technological gap for the visually impaired. The cane uses GPS to guide users with vibrations—one buzz for left, two for right. Ultrasonic sensors detect obstacles from knee to head level, alerting the user with vibrations. In the future, Riya plans to add a camera with AI that could recognize faces and identify objects. “It’s about improving accessibility and empowering people to move independently,” she explained, summing up SmartCane’s mission.
Her SmartCane prototype gained support from both the visually impaired community and investors. She raised over $85,000 from major companies like Microsoft and Arrow Electronics, and with a team of engineers, brought the SmartCane closer to commercialisation. "We've had so much support, and it’s been really helpful, so I'm excited to actually get the cane into the market," she said.
A Second-Generation Perspective
Riya’s ambition and work ethic come from her close-knit Indian family in Canada, part of a vibrant community that values social responsibility. Her parents, who encouraged her curiosity and creativity, also instilled in her a sense of responsibility to use technology for real-world solutions. “They always pushed me to think about how I could make a difference," the Global Indian said. Their support, along with her community’s values, helped her stay determined as she worked to make her vision a reality. Like many young, second-generation Indians, Riya balances respect for her heritage with a forward-thinking approach, finding ways to contribute to both her local and global communities
A New Generation of Women in STEM
Riya's success reflects a broader movement: young women are increasingly making their mark in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Riya herself recognises this shift. "I've been seeing an amazing movement that's been encouraging more and more females to pursue a career in STEM, with so many resources and support. This is wonderful, and we need more things like this!", said the girl who is pursuing MS computer science from Stanford University. Although women remain underrepresented in certain tech fields, initiatives that provide mentorship and STEM exposure are helping young girls find their place in these traditionally male-dominated arenas.
Riya’s success has inspired her to share her insights with others. She currently mentors startup founders in Silicon Valley and Toronto, particularly helping young people get started in entrepreneurship.
Exploring New Frontiers
Beyond health tech, Riya has recently turned her attention to clean technology, interested in how engineering can help develop sustainable energy solutions. This new area represents her commitment to using her skills and experience for social impact, whether in health, accessibility, or the environment. She’s currently exploring ideas in energy resource engineering and hopes to contribute to innovations that advance clean tech in practical ways.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzPKgDmOqsg
Looking Ahead
Riya’s goal is to create products that make a meaningful impact on people’s lives. Her SmartCane is just the start of her vision for accessible technology, and her work with elderly care and interest in clean tech show her commitment to addressing real-world problems. “Instead of building a company that has a valuation of a billion dollars, it’s the person that can impact a billion people,” she said. “It’s ambitious, but that’s my goal.”
In Riya Karumanchi, we see a powerful example of how today’s youth are using technology not just to innovate, but to make a positive difference. As SmartCane moves closer to commercial release and she explores new projects, Riya’s journey encourages others to think big, act with compassion, and break down barriers in the tech industry.
(April 16, 2024) After graduating from Boston University in 2022, Neeharika Munjal wanted to diversify her network and make connections within the Indian community in New England, USA, where she had landed a job. However, she couldn’t find a way to do this, as there was no organisation or platform dedicated to it. It gave Neeharika the idea for YIPNE, short for Young Indian Professionals of New England - a collaborative platform dedicated to professionals of Indian origin who live in the New England area helping them build connections through networking opportunities. Neeharika serves as the founder and CEO of the voluntary organisation, which has grown significantly in just two years of its inception, much to her delight. Basking in happiness of seeing it turn two, the 24-year-old shares her dreams with Global Indian. “I would love to see YIPNE to expand nationwide so we can create a stronger South Asian and Indian professional network in the United States. We have so many CEOs who are Indian here so it would be great to have them all in board and have many more young Indian professionals support each other and get inspired,” she says adding, “Since we have a massive
te a stronger South Asian and Indian professional network in the United States. We have so many CEOs who are Indian here so it would be great to have them all in board and have many more young Indian professionals support each other and get inspired,” she says adding, “Since we have a massive Indian population in the United States it would be great to see them all unite into one community and celebrate each other’s professional success.”
Neeharika Munjal works as an administrative supervisor at Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of New England. The Boston University alumni is driven by two passions in life - working to enhance healthcare systems to ensure optimal and affordable treatment for all and promoting South Asian culture in the Western world.
YIPNE – quickly gaining recognition
Since its inception in April 2022, the voluntary group has seen immense growth, boasting over 6,000 members across Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and WhatsApp. Its initiatives have included a highly-attended networking event, drawing over 400 young Indian professionals in the New England area, and the launch of a YouTube talk series spotlighting community groups and individual success stories. It has also established a board of advisors comprising esteemed individuals from the Boston Indian community. "The team includes Dipali Trivedi, Yogita Miharia, Sanjay Kudrimoti, Dr Raju Singla, Dr. Rohit Chandra, Kamal Tiku, Dr. Chander Kapasi, Ranjani Saigal and Gaurav Jetly," Neeharika shares.
Additionally, YIPNE has successfully organised small meetups that consistently sell out. The most recent one was the Holi networking brunch. Another initiative that YIPNE launched is the “South Asian Small Business Saturday” which has been showcasing and supporting Indian-owned small businesses in New England, promoting their visibility and growth.
“Being able to emcee multiple events and organise events on a large and small scale and seeing many individuals build connections and get jobs/internships and other opportunities through the YIPNE platform has truly been a rewarding experience,” remarks Neeharika who did not expect her organisation to become so well recognised and create impressive milestones in such a short span of time.
YIPNE was recently selected to be a community partner at the India Conference at Harvard University which saw highly accomplished Indian-origin entrepreneurs and Bollywood actress, Karishma Kapoor as guest speakers.
[caption id="attachment_37200" align="aligncenter" width="751"] YIPNE's event which drew over 400 young Indian professionals of New England[/caption]
It started when…
Transitioning from student life to professional life, Neeharika felt lost and did not know how to navigate the real world. Owing to her extraordinary academic excellence she had graduated earlier than her peers. Although she was extensively involved with the Indian community, she wanted to diversify her network beyond that, adding a professional angle to it.
She came across a few networking organisations within her field and in the non-Indian groups in the Boston area, as well as community and charity organisations for the Indian community, there weren't any that catered to the need of professional networking for the youth of the Indian community in the New England area. “As an American-born Indian, it was important for me to stay in touch with my culture and network with other young professionals at the same time,” she remarks.
It was during a conversation with her mother about the lack of Indian professional networking in the New England area, that the idea of YIPNE struck. "After the conversation I had with my mother, the urge for such a platform got stronger. Immediately after that, I created a logo, and launched Young Indian Professionals of New England on Facebook in April 2022" she says. Neeharika never imagined that it would grow so swiftly. Initially, she thought even if just 10 people joined, she would make at least 10 new acquaintances, and consider it a successful initiative.
[caption id="attachment_37180" align="aligncenter" width="725"] Neeharika Munjal and young professionals at the recent Holi Networking Brunch[/caption]
Love for the community
Born and raised in Andover, Massachusetts, Neeharika had always actively sought opportunities to connect with others of her heritage. During high school, she became involved with an organisation called Ekal Vidyalaya USA, dedicated to providing education to remote villages in India. As an Ekal Youth Leader, she led fundraising efforts and organised events, even contributing her own pocket money to provide lifelong education to children. "We often take education for granted, viewing it as an obligation, but in reality, there are children worldwide who long for an education but lack the means to access it," she remarks.
Neeharika is also associated with We Care Charity which helps people in need with compassion in the New England region and beyond and is a part of TiE Boston, a non-profit network dedicated to helping startups grow. As part of Saheli Boston, she works for the sufferers of domestic violence.
Health and management
When it was time for higher studies Neeharika chose to pursue health sciences with a minor in business administration and management at Boston University combining her interest in healthcare and business management. At the hospital where she works, she prioritises community engagement, striving to celebrate diverse cultures and enhance patient care. As part of the DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) board, she emphasises the importance of understanding different cultural backgrounds to provide the best patient care for improved treatment outcomes.
[caption id="attachment_37174" align="aligncenter" width="584"] Neeharika Munjal at the Harvard Conference[/caption]
“Balancing my full-time job, running my own organisation, and staying active in the Indian community of New England gets hectic at times but by organising my day effectively and focusing on what matters most to me, I have learned to multitask,” the youngster remarks stressing on the importance of effective time management.
Awards and recognitions
For her community initiatives, the youngster has received numerous awards, including the Lokvani Magazine Rising Star of the Year award, the Miss Bharat Woman Empowerment award, the Indian Medical Association of New England Presidential Recognition award, and also a recognition from Ekal Vidyalaya.
In 2016 she was named in the India New England 20 under 20 list, and has been appointed as a youth brand ambassador for Mydream Entertainment's Miss Bharat New England.
While she was studying at Boston University, Neeharika was part of the Partners in Healthcare club, Boston University India Club, and the Healthcare Improvement Inc, BU’s multidisciplinary student organisation dedicated to serving at the intersection of community service, clinical care, and healthcare reform.
Now as a healthcare professional, she is a member of the Healthcare Businesswomen of America Boston Chapter, a global non-profit focused on achieving gender parity in healthcare leadership, promoting career connections, and supporting the development of young professionals through groups like Tomorrow’s Executive.
Second anniversary of YIPNE
“As an American-born Indian, it was important for me to find ways to stay in touch with our Indian culture,” says Neeharika. “I am so grateful and blessed to have the community's support. The older generation here in the US have provided a foundation for the Indian community but it is up to us - the younger generation to improve and elevate our community,” she shares.
Neeharika’s parents Preeti and Manoj Munjal had moved to the US for their higher education in engineering and are now into commercial real estate and investing. “They are active members of the Indian community in Boston and have worked incredibly hard to reach where they are today. They have been extremely supportive of me. I am always thankful and grateful to them,” she remarks.
“Next month, we are hosting our second anniversary networking gala brunch event at the Treasury Restaurant in Burlington MA. This will be a high-end networking event filled with accomplished individuals along with elevated fusion Indian food,” she shares excitedly.” I cannot wait to see what we accomplish in the future and want to celebrate what we have accomplished so far,” she signs off.
[caption id="attachment_37181" align="aligncenter" width="700"] Young professionals at an YIPNE event[/caption]
(September 15, 2023) Indian origin Simar Khurana, a six-year-old from Beamsville, Ontario, Canada, has created a Guinness World Record becoming world's youngest video game developer - an impressive feat she accomplished at the young age of six years and 335 days. What makes her achievement even more special is her remarkable ability to create a video game that not only provides entertainment but also imparts a message about the importance of adopting healthy eating habits. Her game, aptly named ‘Junk Food vs Healthy Food,’ not only entertains but also educates young players about making nutritious food choices. The student of Jacobs Beam Public School is not only a coding prodigy but also a versatile child with a passion for maths, art, gymnastics, and dance. Simar finds support in her family and the entire school that was cheering when she made the record. She showcases her expertise on her YouTube channel, ‘Simars World’. [caption id="attachment_33076" align="aligncenter" width="544"] Simar Khurana[/caption] Girls are no less than boys Simar’s father Paras Khurana, an HR professional, told Global Indian, “I have two daughters. Simar is the second one, and when she was born, a few people expressed sympathy and were rueful that I was blessed
Simar’s father Paras Khurana, an HR professional, told Global Indian, “I have two daughters. Simar is the second one, and when she was born, a few people expressed sympathy and were rueful that I was blessed with another girl. They told me to try for a boy. Simar’s achievements are like a slap on their face.”
Talking about the Guinness Book rules he says, “Guinness recognises two categories for the youngest video game developer - one for males and one for females. Simar qualified for the female category. However, if there would have been an open competition, she would have excelled regardless. Sadly, there still appears to be a bias favouring boys over girls.”
Simar is ‘super excited and grateful to be a world record holder’. While her father shared, “the process was very lengthy and exhaustive. It took almost three months to verify and validate.”
Discovering the talent
Simar began her coding journey just this year when her parents recognised her exceptional aptitude for coding, mathematics and doing things creatively. They decided to enrol her in a coding class.
“Such is her creativity that she can create something great out of simple things, and I realised that with her talent for maths and coding she can be a good video game developer,” said her father.
What started as a single class per week soon escalated to three classes, and eventually, Simar dedicated herself to five coding classes weekly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkDujfmrI3U&t=39s
Simar's inspiration for her game promoting healthy food choices stemmed from a visit to her family doctor, who emphasised the significance of maintaining a balanced diet. This conversation with her doctor left a mark on the impressionable mind of the six-year-old, sparking her interest in the consequences of consuming junk food and the importance of making healthier choices.
Driven by her newfound knowledge, Simar embarked on her video game journey to transform the perspective of children her age in a fun manner.
Hiccups along the way
When Simar's parents began searching for a place to provide her with coding training, they explored several options. However, they encountered a common response: "She's too young. Most children are just beginning to learn to read and write. Developing a game would be quite challenging." Many institutions recommended that they introduce her to coding when she is at least eight to 10-year-old.
However, looking at their child’s ability her parents knew that she has an extraordinary potential as at such a young age Simar can also solve mathematics problems meant for grade three kids. After trying at many places they finally found an institute that agreed to enrol her.
That’s when her father started researching the world records in coding and found out that nobody has developed a full-fledged game at a young age. “I told Simar this and she got excited, ‘I want to make a world record,’ she said and began announcing to the whole family that she’s going to make a world record’,” Paras shares.
“Simar is hardworking and she did it pretty well for a six-year-old to go through five classes a week on coding and then spending a couple of hours every day on practising and doing projects,” he remarked.
The coder has graduated to the next level of working into animations. She loves Roblox, an online game platform and game creation system developed by Roblox Corporation that allows users to programme games and play games created by other users. Down the line she aims to develop something even better than that.
Motivated by her accomplishments, the youngster is working on a more interactive and engaging game. She has a message for everyone – “Don’t eat junk food!”
Prisha's room-full of awards[/caption]
Prisha with her visually impaired students[/caption]
Prisha participating in a yoga competition, a few years ago[/caption]
Yathaarth Murthy with Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai[/caption]
Riya with SmartCane[/caption]
Neeharika Munjal[/caption]
YIPNE's event which drew
Neeharika Munjal and young professionals at the recent Holi Networking Brunch[/caption]
Neeharika Munjal at the Harvard Conference[/caption]
Neeharika Munjal[/caption]
Young professionals at an YIPNE event[/caption]
Simar Khurana[/caption]
Simar Khurana[/caption]