When many became jittery on hearing about the news about the lockdown, Varun welcomed it. He participated in a series of online mock tests. That is how he improved on the 47th rank he had got in last year's engineering test - in a major jump, he has got the first rank this year.
Varun says the first rank in the Kerala engineering entrance exam is a ‘bonus’ that he has got for the one year of preparations he has been doing with the objective of getting into computer science in an IIT.
He is the son of Karimpanil Shiburaj of Kadayanickadu, Manimala, who is a director in the Aries Group of Companies in Kochi, and R Bindu, an assistant section officer at MG University.
Second rank: T K Gokul Govind; he is the son of TK Govindan of Gokulam in Kandonthar, Mathamangalam, Kannur, who works as a foreman at the Raidco Curry Powder Factory, and AK Supriya, a teacher at CPNS GHSS. Score: 591.9297
Third rank: P Niaz Mon, the son of Jamaluddin, a high school teacher from Thayil house, Musliyarangadi, at Kondotty in Malappuram, and Hafzat. Score: 585.4389
SC 1st rank: M J Jagan; son of B Mohanan of Sai Vihar, Neeleswaram, Kottarakkara, a retired superintending engineer of the Water Authority, and Jaya C Thangam. Score: 542.4073
ST 1st rank: Ashwin Sam Joseph; son of KSEB assistant engineer Sam K Joseph of Kunnumpuram, Melukavumattom, Kottayam, and Annie Elizabeth. He is also the grandson of CSI former moderator Rev Dr K J Samuel. Score: 490.2615