Sonepat-born Kautilya Pandit, a child prodigy of Kohand village in Gharonda sub-tehsil in Karnal, is seen as an exceptional talent, who is busy hopping from one TV studio to another showing off his memory by answering questions on a range of topics, including population of countries, their GDP, culture, heritage and other things.
"I love reading books, they are fun. I want to know everything about my country and the world," the boy, who studies in Class I and dubbed 'memory prince' by the media, told PTI.
Asked about his son's talent, Sharma said, "He was talkative right from the age of two. Our family runs a school in Kuhand in Karnal, where 300 other children are also studying. Kautilya studies there too."
Sharma said the family resides on the second floor of the school building.
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"We noticed special talent in him in February this year. He accompanied me on a trip to Agra and started asking me about the signboards along the way. I was taken by surprise by his memory. In May-June, he started reading books and since then he has acquired vast knowledge," he said.
The child's mother is also a teacher and Kautilya's two sisters, aged seven and nine, are also intelligent, but not quite a match for the prodigy, Sharma said.
He said government should provide incentives to children who show exceptional talent which will encourage them.