12-year-old boy becomes youngest candidate in Manipur to appear HSLC examination

Our Correspondent

Imphal, Dec. 1 (EMN): A 12-year-old boy from Churachandpur district became the youngest candidate in Manipur to appear for the High School leaving Certificate (HSLC), after the examination committee of the Board of Secondary Education Manipur (BoSEM) approved his application.

The committee granted permission to Isaac Paulallungmuan Vaiphei son of Genkholian Vaiphei, considering his “mental age and superior Intelligent Quotient (IQ) level,” the board official informed.

It is the first time in the history of the BoSEM, it said.

“The application of the young boy, seeking to become the youngest candidate to appear for the Class 10 board exams, was approved by the examination committee of BoSEM after the Clinical Psychology department of Regional Institute of Medical Sciences here administered a psychology test on the young student,”  board secretary Dr. Chithung Mary Thomas said.

Thomas told  Eastern Mirror that as per the test report, the student’s mental age was found to be 17 years and 5 months while his IQ was 141 which he said is “very superior intellectual and development functioning.”

The examination committee of the board allowed the young boy to appear in the HSLC examination 2020 as special case, he added.

The eldest among four brothers and a sister, Isaac who is preparing to appear in the forthcoming HSLC examination which is scheduled to be held from February 17 to March 7 next year, when contacted on phone said that he felt excited to hear the news and expressed the need to study for it.

Isaac, who will complete 12 years 3 months in February 2020, also reiterated that he wanted to become the youngest candidate from Manipur.

An exceptional student, Isaac who had secured top position in his studies in the previous classes, also showed interest in reading books of higher classes and books on other subjects.

Earlier, the Isaac’s application seeking to become the youngest candidate to appear for the HSLC exams has put the authorities in a quandary, as a student needs to complete 15 years of age on April 1 of the year in which he/she appears in the matriculation examination (first appearance) of the Board, according to rules of the BoSEM.

Isaac’s father said earlier, they approached the CBSE authority to let him appear in the class 10 examination by changing the school and the syllabus (from state board to CBSE). However, it was rejected, so they approached the state board and they agrees after necessary tests.