While others his age are playing video games or catching their favourite cartoon on TV, he is busy explaining the intricate anatomy and physiology of 13 human systems.
So amazing was this feat, that on Dec 5, 2021, he set a record with the Malaysia Book of Records (MBR) for the “Most Number of Human System Physiology Described by a Child”.
FMT recently visited Kashrav and his parents at their home in Seremban.
His father, Sugendran Palanisamy, 36, is an energy and utility industry consultant while his mother, Dr Sharlini Devi Guna Segaran, 35, is a medical doctor completing a specialist course in Pathology (Medical Microbiology) at Universiti Malaya.
So, what’s the secret behind this little boy’s success?
“Basically, since birth, we started him off with flashcards, which I think did a great job because it helped him focus,” Sharlini shared.
By the age of one, Kashrav could grasp the alphabet. And by two years old, he was able to read whole sentences.
Encouraged by his potential, his parents began exposing him to mathematics, geography, and science through games, quizzes, and experiments.
However, they were careful not to pressure him and progressed at a pace he was comfortable with.
“Whenever he likes something, he would say, ‘Can you explain this to me a little bit more?’ So, when he asked, we gave him further information,” explained Sugendran.
Encyclopaedias were another educational tool that benefitted Kashrav greatly. “We would talk about how a car engine functions, for example, and the best part of it all was, I was actually learning with him,” Sharlini shared with a laugh.
Over the years, Kashrav has shown tremendous interest in human biology as well as astronomy and can grasp the concept of black hole formations.
“He is also able to name, draw, colour, and explain accurate details about the solar system, exoplanets, and eclipses to a certain extent, but definitely at a level beyond the age of five,” Sharlini said.
During FMT’s visit, Kashrav demonstrated his impressive understanding of ionic bonds, the cardiovascular system, and the blackhole formation theory.
Sugendran and Sharlini said they introduced their young son to these complex topics simply because they believed a child’s brain can absorb huge quantities of information.
“I believe that it’s able to do more than just redundant stuff. Since he was grasping things fast, I thought why not? But I introduced it in a very child-friendly way”
“In chemistry, we started with the periodic table using a song that is available on YouTube. He got very curious, and it moved on from there,” she explained.
“And if he could grasp it, then why not just continue?” Sugendran added.
Additionally, they provided a space for Kashrav to freely ask questions, especially when his curiosity was piqued as he grew older and started discovering more things from the books he read.
An ardent fan of Optimus Prime
Today, thanks to his parents’ efforts, Kashrav is an active and chatty boy who loves to learn new things.
Clad in a blue shirt and a matching bow tie, he told FMT that he loves robotics, building things with Lego and is a big fan of Transformers, with Optimus Prime being his favourite character.
“When I grow up, I want to be an entrepreneur to make people’s lives better,” he said.
According to his parents, he is also showing an interest in music. “He has asked us to get him a set of drums. In fact, at the age of two, he could sing ‘Nothing Else Matters’ by Metallica,” his mother said.
Sugendran, a fan of heavy metal music, was the one who taught the boy the song.
To ensure that Kashrav has a balanced upbringing even with his academic achievements, his parents are planning to enrol him in swimming classes and Carnatic music classes to give him some social exposure.
He has yet to attend school and his parents are considering the Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) programme for him.
“We are also searching for a suitable platform that will match what he’s doing because we don’t want him to plateau or do things that he is already exposed to,” said Sharlini.
Unsurprisingly, they have since been advised by Mensa Malaysia to test Kashrav’s IQ.
Follow Kashrav’s incredible journey on his Instagram profile.