Amazing and inspiring, that’s all I can say about this young genius who feels so passionately about his state and country. If media has its way the state of Bihar would only be credited with crooked politicians and mafias, you can almost feel the sadistic pleasure in branding Bihar as the “most lawless state”. Thanks to the efforts of Subham who keeps reminding everyone that it’s the same Bihar which has been the cradle of learning and knowledge.

Subham Prakhar won the title of "India's Child Genius" after several rounds of stiff competition between some 16,000 schoolchildren. Both of his parents are currently unemployed and Subham had to depend on generous relatives and the internet to gain access to the books he needed to prepare for the competition. Besides a glass trophy, an Encyclopaedia Britannica CD-rom and a pair of gold and silver pens, Shubham won a cash prize of one million rupees ($22,200).

Shubham had won every competition he entered before applying to take part in India's most prestigious and popular brain game show.

"I've never stood second in life and that's how I wanted to be," he says.