Dipshika Karmalkar has become the first tribal girl from Goa to complete a B.Tech from IIT Delhi. She talks about her JEE preparation and life at IIT

RAMANDEEP KAUR | NT KURIOCITY

Until Class 11, Dipshika Karmalkar was unsure whether she wanted to become a doctor or an engineer. She had opted for PCMB and was preparing for both NEET and JEE. However, she found herself enjoying mathematics more and gradually decided to pursue engineering.

She went on to secure admission to the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, where she completed a B.Tech in Electrical Engineering (Power and Automation). On August 8, she received her degree at IIT Delhi’s 57th Convocation, which was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the chief guest. More than 3,000 students graduated at the ceremony.

She says, “Graduating from IIT Delhi as an electrical engineer is a very special moment for me and my family.”

Dipshika is now also being recognised as the first tribal girl from Goa to complete a B.Tech from IIT Delhi. “Ever since my admission was confirmed, my parents had been checking if there were any similar cases. They kept looking over the years but could not find any,” she says.

From a farming family

Dipshika grew up in a family where education and farming were both part of everyday life. Her grandparents were farmers, and her parents still farm. Her father, Dr. Deepak, is a former Commissioner for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and worked as a teacher for more than 30 years at Dnyanprassarak Mandal’s Higher Secondary School, Mapusa. Her mother, Disha, is a graduate and agriculturist.

“Education was given great importance at home, and my parents always supported our studies,” says the youngster who studied at Old Goa Educational Institute before completing her higher secondary education at Mushtifund Higher Secondary School, Cujira.

Dipshika and her brother, Deeptesh, grew up helping their parents with farming. When she began preparing for JEE, her parents relieved her of the farm work so she could concentrate on her studies.

Preparing without coaching

She prepared for JEE through self-study and used previous-year questions to understand the examination pattern and the level of preparation required.

She says, “I had two-three specific books for each subject that I primarily relied on and referred to repeatedly.” She also used additional reference books and magazines when needed for specific topics or concepts.

Deeptesh, who had completed his B.Tech in Engineering Science from IIT Hyderabad, was her mentor during her JEE preparation. However, just weeks before the JEE, Dipshika and her family contracted dengue. Despite falling ill, she continued preparing for the examination.

There were financial constraints as well but the tuition-fee exemption available under Central Government provisions helped reduce the cost of her education at IIT Delhi.

Life at IIT Delhi

The transition from school to IIT Delhi also took some getting used to. Dipshika had been among the top students in her class since childhood and consistently secured first rank in her school from Class 5 to Class 10. Her rank dipped in Class 11, while she could not appear for her Class 12 board examinations that year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. At IIT, she was surrounded by students with similarly strong academic records.

Outside academics, she served as the chess captain of Kailash Hostel for three terms and led the women’s team to first place in the Inter-Hostel General Championship three times.

She was also part of the theatre arts group and worked on more than 10 productions, including national-level competitions such as Rendezvous and the Inter-IIT Cultural Meets, where her productions received podium finishes.

Through the National Service Scheme (NSS), she also worked with students from financially constrained backgrounds and students with visual impairments.

As part of her B.Tech, Dipshika worked on a research project under a professor at IIT Delhi’s Samsung Innovation Lab. The project involved image generation and large language models, which allowed users to upload an image and provide a prompt to create an edited version.

At the time, such applications were still developing. “It was the most fun experience for me,” she says. “It showed me how much the right guidance or even the right study material can change a student’s experience.”

Dipshika plans to pursue higher studies and is preparing for it.

For students in Goa considering JEE, she says the aim should not be limited to getting into an IIT.

“The main goal should be that one should be able to study well, to understand the concept well,” she says, adding that problem-solving and critical thinking are what will take one forward in life.

Meeting the CM

After returning to Goa following her convocation, Dipshika and her family made a courtesy visit to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to inform him about her achievement. While her parents had met Sawant earlier, Dipshika had not personally met him before. Sawant congratulated her on completing the degree.

PIC BY HEMANT PARAB