Inspirations from Scientists of Manipur : Prof. Shanta Laishram
Downloadable Book Extract – Serial No : 10

Research Institute Of Science & Technology (RIST) *

Prof. Shanta Laishram

My journey towards being a mathematician
Prof. Shanta Laishram
Professor & Head, Theoretical Statistics and Mathematics Unit
Indian Statistical Institute, New Delhi
E-mail: [email protected], [email protected]

I was born on 1st February, 1980 at Khangabok Awang Leikai, Thoubal District of Manipur. I am the eldest of five children of (late) Laishram Mahajon Singh and Laishram Sanahanbi Devi and now married to Dr Kabita Waikhom Laishram and now father of two lovely daughters Amy and Yaipha.

My father studied up to Class 8 and ran a Cycle workshop and my mother is a homemaker. Though we had our own land and paddy fields, we just had enough to fend for ourselves and we were financially poor. However, my father took a keen interest in my study and encouraged me a lot to study.

I did pre-primary schooling from Amusana Boys LP School in locality in Khangabok Awang Leikai. Here I would to recall an incident. Unlike current schools, we didn't have proper benches and we used to take our sacks to sit and study on the ground. In the beginning of the year before Class I, I finished reading and studying all the books myself and then I cried and requested that I should be promoted to Class I.

The teachers took my test and then agreed to promote to Class I. I was happy to study with my locality elder kids and also topped Class I and 2. From Class 3 to 5, I studied in Khangabok High School (currently Khangabok Higher Secondary School) which is a Manipuri medium government school in my village Khangabok.

There also, I was among the top 3 and I was ahead in maths from everyone and in fact finished solving all the math textbook questions before the academic year end, sometimes neglecting other subjects. I wrote the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya Selection test in 1990 and got admission at Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Sandumba Achouba, Kakching (JNVSAK), Thoubal district where I studied from to study Class 6 to 12.

My student days at JNVSAK from 1990 to 1997 really helped me in shaping my career and personality. Apart from academic studies, I was an avid reader, read almost all the novels and books other than school textbooks in the library and was given the best reader award in the school. I was not so much interested in sports and arts and music.

However, I was keenly interested in Quizzes, essay writing, extempore speaking and debates etc where I got a number of prizes and also represented school in District and state level competitions. In academics, I was doing very well and of course, interested in mathematics much more than other subjects.

I got 99 out of 100 in Class 10 CBSE exam in 1995 and that motivated me to study more mathematics, sometimes neglecting other subjects in Class 11 and 12. In fact I was the kind of man to go for any math questions during Class 10-12.

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