Meet Tanya Jain, the finance whiz kid from Apeejay Pitampura

Tanya Jain, class 11 student at Apeejay School, Pitampura won the first position in the recently held International Finance Olympiad. Along with a cash prize of Rs.8000 and a merit certificate, she also received the opportunity to be a part of a high school industry mentored programme by the Institute of  Bombay Stock Exchange . In an interview, the finance whiz kid speaks about her experience at the Olympiad, her preparation schedule and her future targets in the world of numbers. Edited excerpts:

How did you go about preparing for the Finance Olympiad?

In the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) booklet given to us, we were told about the syllabus of the Olympiad. My Business Studies teacher Mrs. Sangeeta Gupta helped me study those topics in detail. My mother, Mrs. Aarti Jain, also helped me to prepare for the Olympiad. Alongside that, I also did research about the important topics at my level. The crucial topics were banking, stock exchange, insurance, financial risk and advisors. My strong point was banking while I was a bit unsure about insurance. Actually, learning the full forms of  terms such as SEBI (The Securities and Exchange Board of India) was initially a tough task.

I studied an extra two hours every day for the Olympiad. A major part of the syllabus was covered within the Business Studies classes at school. I also solved previous year BSE Olympiad question papers for practice.

Please tell us about your experience at the finance Olympiad?

I got to know about the Olympiad from the school. Then, I went to the BSE website to register myself. After the registration, one had to give the All India entrance exam. It was a multiple choice quiz.

Then I got an email from BSE which read that I have qualified for the semi-finals of the Olympiad. The semi-finals were held virtually in January 2022. It was a virtual quiz with three rounds and 15 participants. My score was nine in the semi-final. I had scored the highest.

Then in the final on February 9, I scored 10 points. It was the highest again, so I won. There were six participants and five rounds in the final.

I was very nervous in the semi-finals, since I was participating in a virtual quiz for the first time. However, when it came to the finals, I was feeling confident. I had learned and studied a lot, I was well prepared so I had a firm belief that I could do it.

What is the inspiration behind your interest in finance?

I have always been interested in the world of business and finance. My father Mr. Manu Jain is a chartered accountant. He reads the newspaper every day and keeps himself updated about the happenings in the financial world. So, that sparked my interest in finance. Also, my Business Studies teacher Ms. Sangeeta Gupta teaches very well. Her classes make me more interested in this discipline.

How did Apeejay School, Pitampura help you in preparing for the Olympiad?

Sangeeta Ma’am used to send me all the important information about important topics, which helped me study for the Olympiad. She cleared all my doubts on the various topics and helped me put my best foot forward.  

Do you see your future in the world of finances and BSE?

To be honest, I didn’t think I would do something in the BSE or finance sector before this. I always wanted to become a C.A. like my father. But ever since winning the BSE finance Olympiad, I have realised my passion for finance. So, I am reformulating my career plans and BSE is in my plans. I feel that I can do very well in this field.