From writing a love story at the age of 13 to studying the language of computers at 19

When a 13-year-old writes a love story, a book rather, and it goes on to be sold on the internet, you expect the kid to have dreams of becoming a storyteller, or a man of letters for sure. But destiny had other plans for Manan Agarwal. Or should one say, Manan had other plans for himself. He decided to study engineering and joined the FIIT-JEE Punjabi Bagh training centre in New Delhi.

With a history of doing his best in whatever he does, Manan went on this path with full vigor. Of course, there was a time when his life plans included getting into medicine but that was before the Sonepat lad got enticed by Physics after class X. “It has a very analytical approach to problem solving. So that was the deciding factor to make engineering my career choice,” states Manan. And when he discussed it with his parents, he had their full support to change streams.

Needless to say, there was no room for regrets for, when the results for the JEE Advanced 2019 results were declared, Manan had not just come out with flying colors but had also bagged an enviable all India rank (AIR) of 14 for himself scoring 302 marks. He also secured AIR 194 in JEE Mains scoring 341 marks. What’s more, he was declared the topper from Haryana. Manan has now got into Iitbombay to study Computer Science Engineering (CSE) and wants to master different computer languages. “I want to use this knowledge for the different start-ups that I have in mind to tackle problems like unemployment,” he lets on about his future plans.

All through the two years that he studied at FIIT-JEE, Manan was confident enough to be among the top 50 rank holders. And after the exams, he was sure of making it to the top 20.

“So getting a rank of 14 was good,” he smiles remembering the day of the exams when he had two three-hour papers, Part I and II, on the same day with an hour-long break in between.

“The general consensus was that the paper was more difficult than those of some previous years. Maths was certainly difficult but Chemistry was comparatively easy,” declares the 19-year-old who went about his preparation and writing the exams in a very judicious manner.

So, after Part I there was no hanging around at the centre but going back to the hotel where he had checked in with his father on the day of the exam for a quick lunch while listening to some relaxing music and catching a few winks. After which it was back to the centre for the second paper. “It was only post that that I stayed back to discuss the paper with my friends there,” he smiles.

Looking back at the two years he spent preparing for JEE Mains and JEE Advanced, he says that he used to study for at least 12 hours a day and studied the complete syllabus till October 2018. Afterwards, he paid full attention to revision and practice. “A few months before the exam, I used to solve computerbased mock tests quite regularly including two tests per day,” he adds.

“All through this period, both my parents were my greatest support,” declares the youngster talking about his father Mahavir Prasad, a BSNL employee in Sonepat (“the go-to guy for me in case of any doubts”) and mother Seema. “The only difference was that she is from the Commerce stream, but her moral support was tremendous,” he adds.

Three days in a week, Manan and his younger brother Harshvardhan who will be appearing for the coming JEE Mains, would travel to Delhi from Sonepat for classes that began at 8am and continued till 6pm. “The distance between the two cities often made us tired but after getting back, I would relax for a bit and then sit down to study and revise what the teachers had taught us during the day,” he says.

Sweets were the order of the day when the results were declared. While his parents were taking care of the endless stream of visitors at their place, Manan took a whole bunch of his friends for a pizza treat. “All of them really made me feel very special,” he smiles.

And his visit to his alma mater, Janakidas Kapur Public School, when he took sweets for his teachers shall remain etched in his memory for a long time to come. “I was asked to take a class there – which was incredible. I took a joint session with students of Xith and XIITH classes to guide them on the correct way to study, on which books to consult and also about the importance of relaxation and meditation,” he smiles.

Manan mentions how after the first year of intense study he developed stomach ache “that refused to go away”. That’s when he joined the local gym (“after which the stomach ache miraculously disappeared”) and a month before the finals also started meditating -- “something that helped me a great deal”.

Ask him about his favorite subjects and he says that Physics (obviously) gets top marks followed by Maths and then Chemistry.

Talking about his fellow students at FIIT-JEE, he says they were all “a very dedicated lot. We were all very close to our teachers who were always there to clear our doubts and guide us.” Manan has now added reading (“I have just finished with biographies of people like Steve Jobs and Elon Musk and The Alchemist”) to his list of hobbies that also includes listening to music by Arijit Singh, Alan Walker and Martin Garrix.

Post the results, there were celebrations galore at FIIT-JEE that felicitates all those who get ranks below 1000. “So almost the entire class was there and it was fun recalling our days when we were all studying there,” recalls Manan.

And this was when his principal told the gathering about Manan’s tryst with romance – about the book he had written as a kid. “I don’t know how I wrote it because other than Romeo and Juliet, I am not aware of any other love story,” he laughs. But does go on to reveal his plans of writing another novel – this time centered around studies.

OPTED COURSES

Most banks are more than happy lending money for foreign studies when you want to study medicine, engineering or management. After all, your career prospects and chance of getting a high paying job is higher with these degrees as compared to a degree in, say, liberal arts. When it comes to non-conventional courses, such as music, dance, arts, beauty or part-time, correspondence or online programs, it’s easier to get loans from NBFCS.

Prashant B., head-student loan, Incred Finance, a new-age technology and data sciencebased financial services platform, said, “Entities like us provide education loans for all kinds of programs—undergraduate, graduate, doctoral levels, and even certiwfications and diplomas are eligible. As long as those courses or institutes have required approvals, authorizations or accreditation from relevant bodies, getting a loan from NBFCS is easier for non-traditional courses.”

INSTITUTION YOU CHOOSE

If you have managed to get an

LOAN AMOUNT

It’s possible that the bank does not have a problem with either the course or the institute you have chosen, but it usually has a cap on the amount it can lend.

When it comes to studying overseas, a few lakhs is not always enough.

But in many cases, banks are not willing to give a huge amount as loan. For instance, Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd gives a conditional loan of up to ₹20 lakh for overseas education. But lenders such as the State Bank of India offer a minimum of ₹20 lakh up to as much as ₹1.50 crore. NBFCS usually offer more than banks. While Avanse Financial Services does not have a set upper limit, Incred Finance gives loan up to ₹1.5 crore.

Amit Gainda, chief executive officer, Avanse Financial Services Ltd, a new-age, education-focused NBFC, said “Each application is looked into on a case-tocase basis. While we go by policies, we have more in-built flexibility in the offerings, as we give customised loans. We look at structuring the study abroad loan to meet the necessary needs and the cost of education. Hence, there is no upper limit to the amount.”

Most banks and NBFCS cover most of the common expenses, but margin money or the down payment you need to make upfront, can be a problem when it comes to banks. Some banks ask for margin money of up to 15% of the loan amount. Arranging this amount can become difficult, especially if the loan amount is large.

NBFCS are at an advantage on this count too. Most of them do not ask for any margin money and cover the total cost of education.

GUARANTEES

The most important eligibility criteria is providing a collateral and having a co-applicant. While a collateral is the guarantee against which the loan is given, having a co-applicant is like having a guarantor who can settle the dues in case you default the payments.

Panchpande fell short on both these criteria. The guarantee requirements may differ slightly between banks. For an overseas study loan of ₹7.5 lakh and above, most banks would, typically, ask for a collateral.

“I was asked to take a class at my alma mater, which was incredible. I took a joint session with students of classes XI and XII classes to guide them on the correct way to study, on which books to consult and also about the importance of relaxation and meditation - something which has helped him a great deal.”

MANAN AGARWAL, AIR 14, JEE Advanced 2019