Lucknow's 15 years old prodigy set to earn her PhD

She is all of 15 years, the youngest postgraduate in the country, and is now set to pursue PhD in research in environmental microbiology at Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (BBAU), Lucknow.Sushma, daughter of a sanitation worker from Lucknow, topped her class and earned her MSc in microbiology degree from BBAU.She has secured an impressive seventh place in the University Research Entrance Test in environmental microbiology. Currently, there are only four PhD seats vacant. "Three seats in the general category and one in the reserved category is vacant for the PhD," Naveen Kumar, head, department of environmental microbiology, BBAU, said. He thinks that the University might make special provisions for Sushma.

Prof R C Sobti, BBAU's vice-chancellor, confirmed that the university will make special provisions for granting admission to Sushma.
Sushma said she would be glad to pursue her PhD as she always aspired to do so. "I was discovered my aptitude for this field during a field study during the post-graduation course, or when I would be in the lab, trying to isolate Rhizobium bacteria in roots of leguminous plants," she added.
Tej Bahadur, Sushma's father, is an assistant supervisor (sanitation) at BBAU.
Sushma was enrolled in Class IX when she was only 5 years old and in 2007, at the age of 7, she was registered in 'Limca Book of Records' for being the "youngest student" to pass Class X. By the time she turned 13, Sushma had earned her BSc degree from the Lucknow University.
Such achievements run in her family, even her brother Shailendra was a child prodigy and completed his BCA at 14 years of age. He is currently employed and is earning his MCA as well. Even the youngest sibling, Ananya who is 3 years old the Ramayana fluently, and can recite poems in English and Hindi.