12 June : Indian-origin Maths whiz kid Arjun Rajyagor has been adjudged as the first winner of BBC’s Junior Apprentice, a show in which contestants compete in tasks to prove themselves worthy of a prize that will help them up the career ladder.
Arjun, 17, beat finalists Zoe Plummer, Tim Ankers and Kirsty Cleaver after a final task to market bottled water.
Arjun has won 25,000 pounds to launch his business career. Lord Alan Sugar, an industrialist who hosted the widely watched television contest, said Arjun had “that natural business flair combined with intelligence” that “you can’t learn”.
“I know that Arjun is going to become the best at whatever he wants to do and I will be here for support all the way,” he added in London.
Arjun, who runs a computer repair company from his home, is completing his A-levels and has an offer to study engineering science at Oxford University.
He will receive his 25,000 pounds prize when he wants to take on a suitable venture.
“It’s been an amazing opportunity and I can’t believe I’m the first Junior Apprentice,” he said.
“Never in my wildest dreams did I believe that I would win when I first sent off that application form,” he added, “but now that I have, I couldn’t be more elated”.