Sixteen-year-old Indranil Mandal, a Class XI student at La Martiniere for Boys, Kolkata, has achieved a rare honour, selection for research at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. A resident of Mohanpur panchayat in Barrackpore, North 24 Parganas, Indranil is among the seven others from India to be chosen this year for a space settlement design competition.
The opportunity comes after a gruelling four-stage global selection process, beginning with regional rounds across Indian schools and culminating at the international level.
Each year, students worldwide participate in a NASA-organised competition centered on a specific scientific theme. Indranil’s entry stood out for its scientific depth and originality, earning him a place in a NASA-led space settlement design competition.
Indranil credited his success to family and academic support. “I’ve been able to do so much for my mother,” he said. “I worked hard to earn this opportunity. My family has always stood by me and my school offered immense support. That’s what helped me reach this stage.”
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Fascinated by data science and rocket technology since early childhood, Indranil has been immersed in scientific exploration from a young age. His passion, fuelled by determination, helped him scale the demanding selection process.
His mother, Jyoti Mandal, expressed her pride in her son's perseverance. “It is a matter of great pride for us. Indranil has worked incredibly hard,” she said. “Because it was NASA, the project work often followed their time zone. I’ve seen my son staying up all night to work on it, then going to school in the morning. He truly deserves this success.”
The achievement has also sparked celebrations at Indranil’s school, where teachers and classmates lauded his brilliance and diligence. School authorities praised his unwavering dedication and expressed confidence in his potential to make a mark in the global scientific community.
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