The story of 16-year-old Harshit Sharma being offered a Rs 12-lakh-per-month job by Google went viral after the public relations department of Chandigarh released a statement, congratulating the boy for his “achievement”.
However, Google has denied having “any information regarding the appointment”. In a statement, the tech giant said,
Currently, we don’t have any information on our records with respect to Harshit Sharma’s candidacy.
The press statement of the the Chandigarh administration, released on 29 July, said that Sharma, who has just completed class XII from Government Model Senior Secondary School in Sector 33, has been offered the position of a graphic designer by Google.
Following one year’s training, the statement said, he will be offered a remuneration of Rs 12 lakh per month. Sharma had claimed that he was to be paid a stipend of Rs 4 lakh during the one-year training period.
School Education Director Rubinderjit Singh Brar had said that he has launched an inquiry into the matter and will comment on the issue later, reported Hindustan Times.
According to the HT report, the UT’s public relations department has also launched a probe into the matter.
Moreover, while Sharma’s school too released a statement congratulating the boy, its principal Indra Beniwal denied having seen a letter of appointment.
Harshit’s Facebook Profile Reads ‘Works at Google’
Meanwhile, Harshit had earlier credited his uncle for his supposed success in getting the coveted job, as he said, "Since the age of 10, I used to do graphic design as I was inspired and trained by my uncle, Rohit Sharma."
I kept searching for jobs online... I applied for this job in May, and was interviewed online. I have been interested in graphic designing for the past 10 years. I was selected on the basis of the posters I designed.Harshit Sharma to HT
Hindustan Times also reported on Tuesday that Harshit's Facebook profile carried the description: "Works at Google", "Living in California".
While Harshit and his parents could not be found at their house, his grandfather, Prem Chand Sharma, commented on the controversy, saying,
A few days ago, Harshit had received a message on his phone about his selection. When he called back on the same number, it was not reachable. Then he consulted one of his school teachers who congratulated him on his achievement. We were very happy about his selection. We are not aware of any further development.Prem Chand Sharma to Indian Express
On the other hand, Harhsit's uncle Ravi asserted that the boy did not receive any document, but a phone call from one person “claiming to be from Google”.
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