Brilliant Pala Nurturing toppers and shaping future
THE WEEK India|September 10, 2023
In 1984, a trio of ingenious MSc graduates, Sebastian G. Mathew, George Thomas, and Stephen Joseph, embarked on a remarkable venture.
Brilliant Pala Nurturing toppers and shaping future

Originating from the heartland of central Kerala, these spirited souls undertook the noble endeavour of establishing tuition classes for predegree students, driven by the desire to forge a path to financial stability. Nestled near the illustrious St. Thomas College, Pala, their educational haven, christened as Brilliant, materialized into existence. A serendipitous addition to their ensemble came forth when the erudite educator, Santhosh Kumar B., gracefully joined their ranks.

Initially, there were only around 50 students. However, some of them expressed interest in receiving coaching for medical and engineering entrance exams. In response, the team started an entrance batch in 1985, accommodating ten students. George explains that they taught them a few chapters along with objective-type questions.

In 1987, the first major breakthrough came for Brilliant. Biju, a student who took entrance coaching at Brilliant, cleared the medical entrance, while four others cleared the engineering entrance. Over the next three decades, this small tuition centre transformed into a renowned centre of excellence, known for producing top entrance exam results in Kerala and beyond. Presently, approximately 70,000 students prepare for various entrance exams at this esteemed coaching centre. Securing the highest ranks in entrance examinations, both at the state and national levels, has become a tradition for this organization, which started from humble beginnings.

"Every year, we bettered our own records," says George. "This year, one of our students, Ashik Stenny, earned 100 per centile in JEE mains. At the all-India level itself, very few students achieve this feat. At the Kerala level, Stenny earned the first rank in JEE mains. 190 students from Brilliant scored above 99 per centile. Last year, it was 106."

This story is from the September 10, 2023 edition of THE WEEK India.

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This story is from the September 10, 2023 edition of THE WEEK India.

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