A 16-year-old from Salt Lake has won the bronze medal for laboratory-based activity in nanoscience by the Korean Science Foundation.

Subhajit Dasgupta, a Class X student of Ramakrishna Mission, Deoghar, led the team of seven students from Korea and Singapore. The team developed a new type of semi-conductor — ferro-electric film.

The participating students were introduced to the laboratory of the Korean Science Foundation for four days, where they had to develop a ferro-electric film on their own.

This is the first time India took part in such a competition in International Science & Engineering Camp (ISEC), at Seoul 2008. The competition was held between July 19 and July 27, where students from all across the globe participated.

“Semiconductors are usually a subject for the higher secondary level. But I learnt it by studying books of senior classes in my school,” Subhajit told The Indian Express. “When I was selected, I went through various chapters of science where I grasped some basics about the emerging technology.”

A couple of years ago, this young science enthusiast was keen on history and basketball. His interest in science developed after he appeared in the National Science Seminar in 2007.

The only son of a hotel management institute professor dreams of path-breaking research in the area of application of medical techniques. Subhajit has not been to school since he won the award, but his teachers agree that he has made them proud. The secretary of the Ramakrishna Mission Deoghar, Swami Sarvagananda, called up his home in Kolkata to congratulate the prodigy. The students were selected from across the country by the National Council of Science Museums. The screening was done through its large network of 27 science centres and museums in the country.