Priyank Parikh, son of Bahulaben and Pradeep Parikh, has won twin honours, securing the sixth rank in the highly competitive All India Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) for admission to the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and being selected to represent India at the International Physics Olympiad to be held in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico from July 12-19,. Both results were announced in the third week of May.

While 384,977 students - 286,949 boys and 98,028 girls - appeared for the IIT JEE-2009 on April 12, as many as 35,000 students took part in the National Science Olympiad which formed the basis for the selection of the Indian team for the International Physics Olympiad. 

Later in the year, Priyank will also represent the country at the International Chemistry Olympiad which will be held at Cambridge, UK, and at Olympiads in other subjects which will be hosted by other countries. Priyank has earlier represented the country at the International Junior Science Olympiad in Brazil in December 2006 where he got a Silver Medal, and the other team members got 3 bronzes.

The five member Indian team was selected from among the 35 finalists of the National Olympiad through a rigorous process including tests of theory as well as practicals after an intensive two week camp held at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai. Priyank stood first in the examination held at the conclusion of this camp, scoring significantly more than the three students who secured the first three ranks in the IIT JEE all of whom are also part of the Indian team for Mexico.

According to senior professors involved in the competition, the team has a very good chance of bagging five gold medals at the International Olympiad, bettering the performance of the Indian team last year which bagged four golds and one silver medal.

Priyank completed his ICSE from Chattrabhuj Narsee Monjee Kelavni Mandal School (CNMS) at Vile Parle in 2007, scoring 97.3% and was a ranker in Mumbai. He has just appeared for his HSC exams from Sathe College in Vile Parle. He is interested in all forms of sports and has represented his school in basket ball and soccer. He has even acquired a black belt in karate. He also was a member of the winning team in the inter school competition, Mad Ad World.

Last year Priyank’s sister Shefali had stood first in the Maharashtra Common Entrance Test (MHCET).