News of a Class 12 Indian student being hired by Google for a Rs14,400,000 (Dh827,586) annual salary has been denied by the tech giant.
Indian media had widely reported that the boy, Harshit Sharma from the Indian state of Chandigarh, has been hired by the company on a special programme and would be joining the California-based company shortly.
According to reports, he was to undergo a training for one year, during which he would get a stipend of Rs400,000 (Dh22,932) per month. After finishing the training, he would receive Rs1,200,000 (Dh 68,798) per month.
The Indian government, however, called for a probe after many media reports quoted Google as saying it did not have the boy on their rolls.
The official release by the Union Territory administration said Harshit Sharma, who completed Class 12 from the Government Model Senior Secondary School (GMSSS), Sector 33, was expected to leave for the US in August, the report published by one of the dailies said.
The 16-year-old hails from Mathana in Kurukshetra, Haryana, and studied information technology in Class 12.
“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 is quoted as saying in the Hindustan Times.
Another report says Harshit had applied through Google link and the company sent him appointment letter in June. “During my school time, I used to make posters of both Bollywood and Hollywood stars and earned Rs40,000-50,000,” he told Chandigarh Newsline.
His parents are teachers by profession. He has a younger sibling who studies in Class 10.
Harshit is a “brilliant student” and “an all-rounder”, his teachers say.
