Curious minds from PICT Model School, Pune have found room to stretch beyond the syllabus — in masterclasses with scientists and historians, live online courses, and the residential Gifted Summer Program. This page is their story.
Four PICT students joined the Gifted Summer Program 2026, all on the three-week Wizard track. These moments are drawn from their instructors' camp observations.
Tia opened camp with a triple question: how do you calculate the area and volume of completely irregular shapes, what are the real-world properties of an identity matrix, and how do tensors actually work? She then refused to accept the matrix-inverse formula without understanding it — convincing her instructor to derive it on the spot — and later caught a mistake he made in class.
Neil taught the consumer-and-producer-surplus graphs back to his own class during recaps — and observed that chapstick sales rose during Covid because of contamination protocols.
Roma's question about déjà vu sent her Neuroscience class into how the brain processes familiarity and memory.
At a visiting author's talk, Kaushik answered a history question — and won the author's published book.
Not tutors, not coaching faculty — practising scientists, mathematicians and educators who have spent years working with gifted learners, at the Gifted Summer Program and in year-round online mentoring.
Award-winning science writer and visiting scientist at ISI since 2004. Has taught astrophysics and quantum foundations, and is known for making complex ideas awe-inspiring.
Has taught hundreds of students how storytelling transforms scientific understanding — a rare blend of research experience and science communication.
Builds "mathematical muscle" through rigorous practice and foundational understanding — the mentor behind the geometry course where students constructed Pick's theorem from their own axioms.
A decade in the software industry and over ten years teaching mathematics, using board games and technology to create engaging mathematical experiences.
Brings systems thinking and real-world sustainability into the science room — from food sovereignty to sustainable living.
Applies biological modelling to pure mathematics and runs deep-dive science courses — biomechanics, energy — where students read real research papers.
Students who have taken their curiosity further through the residential Gifted Summer Program.
| Student | Programme | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Kaushik Bhaskar Annadata | Gifted Summer Program — Neuroscience | 2026 |
| Neil Kayarkar | Gifted Summer Program — Economics | 2026 |
| Roma Kayarkar | Gifted Summer Program — Neuroscience | 2026 |
| Tia Marathe | Gifted Summer Program — Math | 2026 |
Residential Gifted Summer Program and ASSET Summer Program participants, from verified programme records.
Scenes from recent residential Gifted Summer Programs — the learning, collaboration, and joy students experience beyond the classroom.
Seats in each cohort are limited, and PICT students receive preferential access as students of a GenWise Partner School.
Questions? Write to onlineprograms@genwise.in or speak to the school's Gifted Lab Coordinator.