IIT runs in the family

The Karkares of Pune are busy packing. They leave for Greece tomorrow. Vacation aside, they are also feeling celebratory because one more member of the family has got admission into the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT).

"I'm glad our entire family has studied in IIT," says Shrikrishna Karkare. "My older brother and I graduated from there, as did my wife, Alka. My elder son Sidharth is studying there, and now my younger son Anuj has also got admission." Alka says this may be the last holiday the family will take together in a long time.

Shrikrishna and Alka were in the 1982 batch, and met during hikes to the hills. "I was doing chemical engineering, while Shrikrishna was studying mechanical," says Alka. Theirs was a special batch, which included economist Ajit Ranade, Infosys co-chairman Nandan Nilekani and politician Sudheendra Kulkarni.

"Our best days were those on campus. We had to do so many things at one time, it taught us to multi-task. You come out a changed person," says Alka. The couple began grooming their children at a very early age once they realised they too were interested in the IITs. For Sidharth, there were not too many coaching classes available in Pune in 2001-02. But they found one and enrolled him while he was in the eighth grade. The Karkares believe good peer bonding is the key to success. "In my time, friends exchanged notes and my older brother would give me tips," says Shrikrishna.