Kotkapura’s only claim to fame is the dhoda sweet. But in this dusty little town in Punjab’s Malwa belt which was in the news over the Dera Sacha Sauda row, success never tasted so sweet as it did today when Achin Bansal topped the merit list for boys in the IIT JEE-2007.

Achin is the first student of the Punjab School Education Board to achieve this feat. Son of a paediatrician, Achin, who will turn 17 on September 1, cleared his Class XII examination from Sada Ram Bansal Memorial Senior Secondary School, built in the memory of his great grandfather.

“This came as a surprise to me as well. I always thought such feats are reserved for boys from bigger cities and schools. I was hoping to figure in the first 100, at most in the top 10, but not more,” said Achin, who studied eight hours a day in the run-up to the entrance examination.

“Mathematics is my forte, so I wanted to join an IIT,” said Achin whose inspiration is his uncle and IITian Deepak Chander. Besides IIT, Achin also has his sight set on the IAS. “For that, I will have to grow up.”

Far away from Kotkapura, Ankita Sharma too had reason to celebrate at home in Anushakti Nagar in Mumbai. Ranked 2,366 in the IIT-JEE last year, she ranked 55 overall and topped the merit list for girls. Working 8-10 hours a day paid off. “I was satisfied with my performance. But this was certainly unexpected,” said Ankita, a student of the Atomic Energy Central School-IV (until Class X) and Atomic Energy Junior College.

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