Manipur: 12-Year-Old Boy Becomes Youngest To Clear Class 10 Board Exam, Creates History!

Isaac Paulallungmuan Vaiphei from Churachandpur district of Manipur is a student of Mount Olive School, Kangvai village. The 12-year-old secured first division with 72 per cent in the Manipur Board class 10 exam 2020.

Isaac is the first student in the state under 15 years of age to be given approval by the Manipur board to appear for the class 10 board exams. According to the rules, a person appearing for the Manipur BSEM exam have to complete 15 years of age as on April 1 of the year in which the student is to appear for the class 10 board exam.

The administrative board members of the Manipur Board gave approval to Isaac based on a psychological test conducted on the boy in the last week of November 2019. Considering the boy's mental age and superior IQ, the administrative members termed the boy's case "special case."

Isaac's "mental age" was 17 years 5 months, while his basal age was 14 years and the terminal age was 22 years, as per the test results conducted by the Department of Clinical Psychology RIMS Imphal. Meanwhile, his IQ is 141, which is of very superior intellectual and development functioning.

"I am very happy that I cleared the exam and became the youngest student to do so. But, I am a little disappointed with the result. I was expecting more like in the top 20," Isaac was quoted by The Indian Express.

He added that he is determined to do better in the next exams and aspires to become an IAS officer.

"We are very thankful to the government including the Chief Minister for giving this opportunity to my son. This is a historic moment for our family as well as for the entire state," Genkholien Vaiphei, Isaac's father, said.

While his father first submitted an application seeking permission from the board to allow his son to appear in the HSLC exam when Isaac was only 11 years old and studying in class 9, the request was denied due to his age. Vaiphei was then asked to change his boy's age to 15 so that he could give the exams. However, Vaiphei approached the higher authority, following which the commissioner of the education department ordered to conduct a psychology test on the boy.