Yogesh Sahu, an IIT Bombay topper, was on the hot seat of Kaun Banega Crorepati 18's latest episode on August 19, where the 23-year-old unfortunately fumbled the 1 crore question, walking home with ₹50 lakh.
Sahu, his life story of quitting the corporate dream to pursue UPSC and his family's contribution in his journey are now going viral. However, people are also curious to know which question stumped the IIT-Bombay topper.
The question that he got wrong was: Which horse, owned by the Maharaja of Baroda, won the first Indian Derby at Mumbai's Mahalaxmi Racecourse in 1943? The options were: A. Princess Beautiful B. Regal Domain C. Star of Gwalior or D. Prince Pradeep.
Since Yogesh had already used all of his lifelines by that point, he used the Elimination method - the process of answering a multiple choice question by trying to rule out clearly wrong options until only the best answer remains, as stated in an Indian Express report.
Using the logic that the question mentioned a ‘horse’ and not ‘mare’, he disregarded Princess Beautiful, which ended up being the correct answer. The option he chose was Prince Pradeep.
{{/usCountry}}Using the logic that the question mentioned a ‘horse’ and not ‘mare’, he disregarded Princess Beautiful, which ended up being the correct answer. The option he chose was Prince Pradeep.
{{/usCountry}}About the question
The Indian Derby, regarded as the country’s most prestigious horse race, dates back to 1943, when its inaugural edition was held at Mumbai’s Mahalaxmi Racecourse. The first race was won by Princess Beautiful, a filly owned by the Maharaja Gaekwar of Baroda, trained by M C Patel and ridden by Australian jockey Edgar Britt. The victory marked the beginning of a sporting tradition that has endured for more than eight decades.
The maiden Derby was run on January 30, 1943, with a prize money of ₹35,000 — modest compared with the stakes associated with the event today. Princess Beautiful went on to enjoy an exceptional season, also winning the Indian 1000 Guineas (a historical British gold coin) and Indian 2000 Guineas, with Britt guiding her to all three victories.
Also Read | A peek at the traditions, superstitions and heartbreaks of the Indian Derby
About Yogesh
From Bhatapara, Chhattisgarh, Yogesh comes from a humble background. His father, who accompanied him, is a driver who earns ₹20,000 monthly. Despite the financial struggles, Yogesh went on to pursue electrical engineering at IIT Bombay, becoming his batch's topper.
According to an Indian Express report, he even landed a job of 18 lakh LPA but he turned it down to pursue his dream of becoming an IAS officer.
Yogesh admitted that due to his family's financial struggles, he regretted giving up a well paying job for his dream. Although, his family fully supports his dream which became evident when he said, “When one takes the UPSC exam, the whole family prepares for it with them.” adding that his family doesn't let him participate in household chores so he can fully concentrate on studying.