India's Brilliant Kids Undiscovered in Slums!

Millions of India's beautiful and Intelligent minds remain undiscovered in slums!According to Mensa, the world's largest high IQ society, more than five million children in Indian slums have genius-level IQs. Mensa is an organisation trying to discover these geniuses and nurture them.Kumud Merani spoke to Kishore Asthana the Head of Mensa in India.

Source: SBS Dateline

India's beautiful minds remain undiscovered in slums.

One of the greatest scientists of our time, Thomas Edison had an IQ of 145. Average IQ of Apollo astronauts was 136. American politician Hillary Clinton has an IQ of 140. And Ritu Paswan has an IQ of 145. She has superior intelligence in terms of IQ jargon. She lives in a slum in India with her family struggling to make end meets.

According to Mensa, the world's largest high IQ society, more than five million children in India have genius-level IQs. Most of them live in slums across India. Mensa is trying to discover these geniuses and give them assistance to acquire better education and financial help.

Source: SBS Dateline

We are trying to locate uncut diamonds in this whole mine of people who are here and if we can get some well try to polish them up. For those who are selected, their lives will change, Kishore Asthana, a Mensa scholar with an IQ of 160 tells SBSs Calliste Weitenberg.

Mensa has already found a few gems. Ritu, for instance wants to be a doctor. Ritu told SBS, I want to be a doctor when I grow up. I know 100 per cent, I can be a doctor.

Source: SBS Dateline

14 year old Varsha Kumari's mother barely earns enough to feed her family. Varsha's father is an alcoholic. But none of these constraints are stopping her from dreaming high. With an IQ of 135, 14-year-old Varsha Kumari is four points short of Neil Armstrongs IQ, whose footsteps she hopes to follow. When I tell Mum, she gets scared because I want to go into space. She doesnt want me to but I tell her this is what I want, Varsha says.

Source: SBS Dateline

This research programme by Mensa started a year ago. It has an hour-long IQ test to find out how gifted these kids are, and those who score above 98 per cent are selected to receive a scholarship to a privileged school, which may pull them out of poverty and change their lives forever.

Tune in to hear the Hindi interview with Kishore Asthana the Head of Mensa in India. 

Watch the full story - Indias Beautiful Minds on Dateline, Tuesday 21 March at 9.30pm on SBS. The episode will be available after broadcast via SBS On Demand.