Latest news with #Aarav
India Today
4 days ago
- Health
- India Today
Sorry Dad, science says mom is the smart one
When little Aarav, barely four, started solving puzzles meant for eight-year-olds, his family was stunned, except his mother, who smiled knowingly. "He's always been curious, just like I was," she said, brushing off the praise. At first, everyone assumed it was just maternal pride talking. But as it turns out, science might actually agree with living rooms, classrooms, and playgrounds across the world, children display sparks of brilliance that often lead people to wonder: Where did that come from? For years, the answer felt split down the middle. But now, genetic research is beginning to tip the scales pointing, quite strongly, toward mothers as the primary source of inherited intelligence. Studies suggest that when it comes to IQ, mom may have the upper hand in the genetic lottery. Picture credit: freepik advertisementINTELLIGENCE LIVES ON THE X CHROMOSOMEThe theory that intelligence is passed on more significantly from mothers is rooted in genetics. Humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes, and one pair determines sex XX for females and XY for males. Research shows that many intelligence-related genes are located on the X chromosome. Since women carry two X chromosomes, and men only one, the likelihood of a child inheriting these intelligence genes from the mother is statistically GENES AREN'T THE FULL STORYIt's important to note that genetics accounts for only 40-60% of intelligence. The rest comes down to environment, stimulation, education, and emotional support areas where both parents and caregivers play critical roles. "A child's potential is determined by genes, but how far they go depends on the environment they grow up in," says Dr. Meera Rao, a Delhi-based child psychologist. "Nutrition, emotional security, and access to learning are equally critical."NATURE MEETS NURTUREadvertisementInterestingly, mothers often end up playing a more central role not just genetically, but environmentally as well. Numerous psychological studies show that a secure emotional bondDOES BREASTFEEDING MAKE A CHILD INTELLIGENT?Breastfeeding may have a small positive effect on intelligence in children, but this effect largely disappears when you adjust for factors like the mother's IQ, education, and socio-economic status. Journalist Sarah Hall said to the Guardian "Breastfeeding your baby has little or no effect on its intelligence baby's brainpower 'more a matter of IQ AS A STRONG PREDICTORA BMJ study (2006) of over 5,400 children found that maternal IQ was the strongest predictor of a child's IQ. Once maternal IQ was factored in, other variables like breastfeeding or socio-economic status had little impact on cognitive outcomes. Scientific evidence strongly supports that maternal genes, especially those on the X chromosome, have a disproportionately larger role in determining a child's intelligence but environment and parenting still matter both parents matter, science says intelligence is mostly a mom thing. But don't worry, dads, you still get credit for the hairline.
Indian Express
7 days ago
- Sport
- Indian Express
Indian prodigies chase norms, rating points and dreams, one budget trip to Europe at a time
Two years ago, Yatin Sarbalia and his then nine-year-old son Aarav embarked on a unique Euro trip. In a three-month phase, the father and son duo traversed country lines, going from Spain to France to Hungary before finally ending in Norway then flying back to India. Unlike a sightseeing tour of traditional European delights, this was a chess trip. Aarav had flown to Europe with his chess rating around 1400, and when he came back, it had touched 2000 after playing in five tournaments. This year, Aarav, now 11 and holding the title of a FIDE Master, has already been on two Europe trips, playing events in Graz (Austria) and Cannes (France) on the first trip in February before playing in three back-to-back events in Munich in May-June. He will soon be back, to play in another three-four tournaments in France next month. Aarav is not the only one. At the Norway Chess Open event — held in Stavanger a few kilometers away from the Norway Chess tournament — IM Savitha Shri and 11-year-old Woman FIDE Master Charvi Anilkumar are among the 16 Indian players competing. These players are paying from their own pocket for travel, food and living expenses in an expensive country like Norway for very specific reasons: some are chasing norms, some are in the hunt for rating points, some are seeking experience against GM-level opponents and others are trying to bring their rating up to match their strength. Trips like these by budding Indian chess stars are becoming increasingly frequent since the pandemic with players going abroad and playing in back-to-back tournaments before returning home to refuel and then flying back again. So why are Indian youngsters taking so many trips to Europe? As Kushager Krishnater, an IM who has worked with the likes of Arjun Erigaisi and Vidit Gujarathi in the past and is currently helping players of varying strengths, points out: 'European players, as compared to Indians, have an inflated rating. This is because they have a lesser number of players and more tournaments. So more than their rating being inflated, it's Indians whose ratings are deflated (they do not accurately represent how good the player really is in strength).' These Euro trips, for many players, are a way to correct that rating deflation which they cannot in India. This is exactly what happened to Aarav in 2023. Kushager says that travelling abroad to chase norms or ratings started to catch on in India about 15 years ago. But only a few players could afford it then. Around 2015-16, it became common among players rated above 2100. But since COVID, it has become so commonplace that right now, players in the 1700-1800 bracket are also doing it. The basic tenet of these trips is simple: plan one European trip in such a way that you can play two-three events while living on a shoestring budget, finding cheapest accommodations and taking buses. If you do this four or five times a year, you end up playing 12-15 tournaments. 'At this point, chess in India, in my opinion, doesn't exist professionally. If you want to become a professional player, you would only play in India if you don't have the funds to play abroad. If you are someone looking to become one of the best, or let's say you are trying to become an IM or GM at a young age, you would not even think of playing in India, maybe except national tournaments,' says Kushager. 'If you look at the junior list of India, off the top of my head, I can recall maybe the one-odd player, who still plays in India. But that is also due to lack of funds, not because he doesn't want to play in Europe. Basically, there are no Indian kids who play in India anymore, if they have a choice.' These days there are websites that — for a small annual subscription fee — give you a detailed list of tournaments around the world that may not even make it to the FIDE website's elaborate tournament calendar. There are also 'tour organisers' who help take budding norm seekers on specific events in Europe. There are two popular 'tours' that players can play in: the Catalan Circuit which has four back-to-back tournaments in Barcelona in July-August (Barbera Del Valles Open, XXV International Open Sant Martí, 49th International Chess Open 'Vila de Sitges' and 49th Open Internacional 'Ciutat de Badalona' 2025) and the Czech Tour (Prague Open, Marienbad Open, Pilsen Open, CZECH OPEN Pardubice, Summer Prague Open 2025, Olomouc Chess Summer 2025). '10 years ago, the Catalan Circuit used to be the OG spot for playing European events, because you get to go in one city, rent one apartment for a long couple of months and play,' says Kushager. 'Even now, you will still find at least 50 Indians playing these events in Europe, who are rated anywhere between 1700 to 2200, just to increase their rating.' UAE has also become a hotspot for Indians because for around Rs one lakh you could play in two back-to-back events. But events in UAE used to be so overrun with Indian players — at last year's Abu Dhabi Masters, for example, there were 85 Indians among 217 contenders — that organisers are now putting caps on Indians. Kushager says that players have started to wisen up. About a decade back, a trip to Europe meant playing in cities like Budapest, Belgrade or in Spain. It was rare at that point to find too many Indians there. But once others found out about it, these tournaments too would have plenty of Indians signing up, which meant Indians were again running into plenty of compatriots, and their ratings deflation problem persisted. Then players started to look for outposts in Europe where there wouldn't be too many Indians. Playing events in the USA would also solve the problem, but getting visas for the USA can be tricky business. What has been the most refreshing is the maturity with which players like 11-year-old Aarav and their parents are chasing their goals. 'For us, these tournaments are an opportunity to improve by playing stronger players. We don't have specific things like norms in mind,' says Aarav's father Yatin. 'We don't have expectations of norm in mind because that puts insane pressure on kids. If Aarav gains strength, norms will be easily achieved anyway.' Amit Kamath is Assistant Editor at The Indian Express and is based in Mumbai. ... Read More
Indian Express
14-06-2025
- General
- Indian Express
NEET-UG results declared: Two in top 10 from Pune, Mumbai; Baramati girl ranked 26
As the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET-UG) results were declared on Saturday, two students from Maharashtra made it to the top 10 — Krishang Joshi (All India Rank 3) from Pune and Aarav Agrawal (AIR 10) from Mumbai. Siddhi Badhe, the daughter of two government school teachers in Baramati, has emerged as the woman topper from Maharashtra with her AIR 26. Siddhi always held a dream to become a doctor. 'I would study everyday for several hours. But what is important is to continuously keep solving tests. I didn't miss even a simple weekly test. It helped understand where more effort was required,' said Siddhi, who joined the Success Academy in Baramati for NEET preparation and has qualified for MBBS admission with her score of 665/720. According to her teacher, Dr Viraj Yele, it was not unexpected. 'She has been a very bright student who was thoroughly focused on her dream of becoming a doctor. Throughout the two years of preparation, I have not seen her not studying. In fact, even after the NEET exam was over, she would come to the academy just to read different books available in the library on medical education and biology etc,' he said. Krishang, who has scored 681/720, was confident of a rank in the top 10 candidates, but AIR 3 was a delight for him. Krishang, who was born in Mumbai, grew up in different cities owing to his father's transferable job with the port authority 'When I decided to study for NEET, we were staying in Goa where I joined Aakash institute in Class 10. But soon I was made part of the Aakash's toppers' batch, which has residential coaching in Pune so I shifted there to study,' said Krishang, who is thankful to his mother who decided to shift to Pune too where he could stay with her in a rented flat. 'Having her around kept me motivated to study,' said Krishang, who studied 14-16 hours a day. But he did take breaks for his favourite activity – cooking. 'Pizza and pastry are my favourite,' he said. Aarav, a resident of Mumbai's Anushakti Nagar, said, 'I like the profession, it holds respect in society and I love biology as a subject.' He has scored 675/720. Aarav did not have fixed hours to study. 'The preparation included a combination of coaching and self-study with great focus on practicing to solve a variety of question papers,' said Aarav, who would watch TV or talk to friends to unwind. His father works in BARC and mother works with a private firm. All three of them plan to take admission in AIIMS Delhi for MBBS. A total of 2,48,201 students had registered for NEET in Maharashtra out of which 2,42,858 appeared for the exam and 1,25,727 passed the national level entrance test for medical courses.
India Gazette
13-06-2025
- General
- India Gazette
Scored a Perfect 500/500! CBSE Topper AIR 1 Aarav Malhotra Reveals His Study Hacks and Booklist!
SMPL New Delhi [India], June 13: In a year when lakhs of students appeared for the CBSE Class 10 examinations, Aarav Malhotra has emerged as one of the shining stars, scoring a perfect 500 out of 500. The Noida-based student's incredible feat has made his family and school proud and inspired thousands of aspiring students across the country. In an exclusive conversation, Aarav opened up about his preparation strategy, the challenges he faced, and the role Oswaal Books played in his journey to perfection. 'I believe consistency and smart study matter more than just long hours. I never followed a fixed number of study hours, but I made sure every hour I studied was distraction-free and meaningful,' says Aarav, who aspires to pursue science in his higher secondary education. When asked about how he approached different subjects, Aarav explained, 'Each subject needs a different strategy. For Math and Science, I focused more on concept clarity and practicing as many different types of questions as possible. Social Science and English were more about understanding and expressing well.' Aarav credits a significant part of his success to the right study material. 'I relied heavily on Oswaal Books -- especially their Question Banks and Sample Papers. The way their content is structured makes it easy to revise topics quickly. The mind maps and concept videos in their books were extremely helpful,' he shares. He also pointed out that practicing from Oswaal's sample papers gave him a real exam-like experience. 'Solving those papers helped me manage time better and understand the CBSE paper pattern more clearly. In fact, many similar questions appeared in the actual exam.' Despite the pressure, Aarav remained calm and focused, a quality he attributes to support from his parents and teachers. 'They never pressured me for marks but encouraged me to do my best,' he says with a smile. For future aspirants, Aarav has a simple message: 'Stay consistent, trust the process, and use quality resources like Oswaal Books. They really make a difference.' As Aarav steps into the next chapter of his academic journey, he remains grounded and focused. His story is a powerful reminder that with the right mindset, guidance, and resources, achieving excellence is well within reach. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by SMPL. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
India Today
11-06-2025
- Health
- India Today
Why some students can memorize anything : Science has the answer
It's the day before the history exam. Inside Class 8B, the tension is thick. One corner of the room is buzzing , Neha flips her notebook at lightning speed, mumbling under her breath, repeating dates of battles and names of Mughal emperors. Next to her, Aarav stares at his book, overwhelmed. "How do you do this?" he asks, watching Neha recite a paragraph she's read just all know a Neha that student who can mug up entire chapters effortlessly. But what makes some students such fast memorizers while others struggle to remember a few lines? Scientists say the answer lies deep inside the SCIENCE OF MUGGING UP: WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE BRAIN Rote learning is memorizing by repeating something over and over without truly understanding it. It taps into specific mental processes, and the truth is, some people's brains are naturally better wired for it than others. MEMORY CAPACITY AND THE HIPPOCAMPUS Deep inside our brain is a small, seahorse-shaped structure called the hippocampus that stores memories. Studies show that when this part of the brain works efficiently, people are much better at holding onto information, especially when they learn through study from the University of California, Davis found that greater activation of the hippocampus during learning tasks leads to stronger long-term memory consolidation. This means that some students, by virtue of neural efficiency, can encode and retrieve information to this, Dr. Anshul Gupta, Senior Consultant, Dept. of Neurosurgery at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, explains: "Rote learning is actually not a gift, it is an adaptation of a weak mind to survive. There is no specific centre in the brain called a 'mugging up' centre. While the hippocampus, amygdala, and Papez circuit are well-known centres for memory, learning, and understanding, a person who is not that intelligent or doesn't have robust learning centres often relies on the most basic part of this system to make short-term memories. Through sheer repetition, this basic function is stretched until the brain retains it just long enough to finish a task - and then forgets it thereafter." His view underscores a critical distinction: rote learning is a coping mechanism, not a higher cognitive MAY BE PLAYING A ROLE TOOSome students are biologically better equipped to retain facts.A 2006 study in Nature Neuroscience found that a variant of the BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor) gene enhances synaptic plasticity - the brain's ability to form and strengthen new connections. This is crucial for learning and gene, COMT, influences dopamine regulation in the prefrontal cortex and is linked to differences in working memory capacity - a key ingredient in successful rote STYLES MATTERNot all students are designed for rote memory and that's in the Journal of Educational Psychology shows that students absorb more information when it's delivered in alignment with their preferred learning style - be it visual, auditory, reading/writing, or kinaesthetic. So a student who struggles to memorize text might thrive using mind maps or through STRESS, AND NUTRITION: THE HIDDEN INFLUENCERSIt's not just about innate ability. Environmental and lifestyle factors also play a big role in memory formation and recall. A Harvard Medical School study highlights how sleep significantly enhances memory consolidation, especially after new learning. Conversely, chronic stress elevates cortisol levels, which can interfere with the hippocampus and impair matters too - Vitamin B12, Omega-3 fatty acids, and iron are essential for brain function. Deficiencies in these can reduce cognitive performance and memory CAN YOU TRAIN YOURSELF TO BE A 'MUGGER'? To an extent, yes. While not everyone can memorize at lightning speed, cognitive strategies can help improve memory:Spaced repetition (reviewing material at increasing intervals)Mnemonics and visualization techniquesChunking information into manageable piecesWriting notes by hand, which enhances recall more than typingWith practice, these tools can make memory tasks significantly BRAINS, DIFFERENT LANESIn India's academic landscape, where exams often prioritise recall, rote learners may have an advantage. But not being good at mugging up doesn't mean you're a poor learner - it may simply mean your brain learns differently. Some students are logical thinkers. Others thrive with visuals or interaction. These learning differences are not only valid but scientifically supported, shaped by genes, brain structures, and education evolves toward critical thinking and experiential learning, rote memory may no longer be the benchmark of academic excellence. But until then, understanding your brain may be your best study Watch
