Young Achievers

Karthikeyan Subramani

Tamil Nadu-born Karthikeyan Subramani (28) is the first Indian and youngest winner of the prestigious £8,780 (Rs.7.52 lakh) Andre Schroeder Research Prize awarded by Straumann Pvt Ltd, a Switzerland-based international dental implant company, in May 2006. The award, which consists of a cash prize and gold medal, promotes new scientific research in oral implantology, oral tissue regeneration and related fields. Subramani was selected for his investigation of poly ethylene glycol (PEG) hydrogel micropatterns and its potential as a catalyst of bone forming growth factors, which can facilitate dental implants.

A researcher with an M.Sc in bio-medical nanotechnology from the University of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, UK, Subramani’s pioneering study in implantology was part of his research project. The study also has high potential applications in orthopaedic and neural (retinal and cochlear) implants.

With both parents in the medical profession in Batlagundu, Tamil Nadu, Subramani became interested in medicine in his formative years. After schooling in Kodaikanal and Theni (Tamil Nadu), following family tradition, he wrote the state government’s highly competitive TNPCEE (Tamil Nadu Professional Courses Entrance Exam) for admission into one of the state’s 12 medical colleges. "In 1996 when I wrote the TNPCEE, around 950 medical seats were on offer. And though I averaged 95.6 percent, I couldn’t make the cut off percentage of 96.33. Instead I was offered admission in the five-year dentistry degree programme of Vinayaka Mission Sankarachariyar Dental College, Salem. I was surprised to find that dentistry is a fascinating subject," he recalls.

After graduating from Dr. M.G.R. Medical University, Chennai with a first class degree, Subramani set his sights on higher study abroad. Undeterred by the refusal of a US visa, he applied to Newcastle and was accepted. The rest is history.

"In retrospect the rejection of a US visa proved a stroke of good luck, because it’s unlikely I’d have received as much encouragement and support in the US as I did at Newcastle University. This award has opened up exciting opportunities for me," says Subramani who is currently conducting another breakthrough research project at the Newcastle Dental School. Future plans include continuing research in clinical implantology and perhaps a career in academia.

With his penchant for transforming reverses into opportunities, there’s every possibility that Subramani’s best is yet to come.

Debeshi Gooptu Bakshi (Delhi)

Swapnil Kumari

A class XII Student of the Patna Central School, Swapnil Kumari (17) hopes to transcend a modest family background to become a chess grandmaster in the next three years. Swapnil’s greatest achievement is her consistent good performance in state tournaments, where she has been consistently ranked among the top three players.

Recently (August) Swapnil participated in the 21st National Junior Girls Chess Championship organised by the Delhi Chess Association in the national capital. Although she wasn’t listed among the winners, she received a merit certificate. Earlier, she was a member of the Bihar state team which participated in the National Chess Meet in Calicut, 2005. At the XIII National (under-18) Chess Championship 2003 held at Jaya Engineering College, Chennai, she was again included in the merit list.

Swapnil has dominated state level chess tournaments and the Bihar women’s chess team for over four years. "Her spontaneity and deft moves indicate a natural talent for this mind sport," says Dr. Gopal Prasad, a former national level chess player.

Daughter of Dr. Sambhu Prasad, a senior scientist at ICAR’s Potato Research Station, Patna and Shalini, who represented Bihar in table tennis in the mid-nineties, Swapnil has attained national status despite an unsupportive infrastructure and time constraints because of the impending class XII exams early next year. And despite an environment where games and sports are accorded rock-bottom priority, she figures in almost every inter-school, Patna district and state level tournaments, and has been winning continuously.

Unsurprisingly Swapnil believes that sportspeople in the state need — and deserve — official support. "It is high time that government and teachers acknowledged the importance of extra-curricular education. Till now, I have been spending money and winning shields and trophies. We have applied to the Sports Authority of India for a sports scholarship, but are waiting to hear from them," she says, in an oblique criticism of a system where academics is accorded sole importance.