Among the records attributed to Kolkata student Abhiraj Shee, the ones drawing the most public attention involve speed: reciting the periodic table’s elements in about 42 seconds, identifying 100 phonetic words in 44 seconds, and spelling 100 English words in under three minutes, according to certificates from India Book of Records and International Book of Records reviewed for this report.
Memory-competition specialists say rapid recitation feats of this kind typically rely on structured practice techniques — including chunking, rhythmic repetition and mnemonic association — rather than innate “photographic memory,” a term Shee’s family has not formally invoked but one commonly attached to child-prodigy narratives in media coverage. Cognitive science research on memory athletes, most of it conducted on adult competitors, has found that such speed is trainable through repetition rather than indicative of a fundamentally different memory architecture.
Shee’s family says the periodic-table recitation was first achieved at age 9 and has since been repeated for certification purposes across multiple record bodies, which is why the same broad feat appears listed as several separate records — a common pattern in the private record-certification industry, where the same underlying skill can be submitted to multiple book-of-records organizations for separate certification.
How the Records Were Verified
India Book of Records and International Book of Records both describe requiring video evidence and, in some cases, live witnesses for record submissions, according to their published submission guidelines. Neither organization’s verification process involves the kind of peer review or replication standards used in academic research, a distinction relevant to how readers might weigh “world record” claims from private certification bodies against, for instance, Guinness World Records’ more heavily scrutinized process — which has not certified any of Shee’s claimed records.
A Family Account of the Practice Behind It
Shee’s family describes years of daily practice sessions built around flash cards and repetition games, several of which the family says Shee later turned into some of his 150-plus coding projects — effectively gamifying his own study routine, according to the family’s account, which this report could not independently verify.
Key Achievements at a Glance
- More than 600 awards and 800 certificates collected since 2018 across categories spanning drawing, coding, spelling and Olympiad exams, according to family records.
- Recognized and felicitated by the Governor of West Bengal, the Chief Minister of Goa in Goa, former Union ministers Smriti Irani and Meenakshi Lekhi, Padma Shri awardee Deepa Malik, badminton player Saina Nehwal, actors Mugdha Godse, Ena Saha, Ali Khan and Kharaj Mukhopadhyay, and representatives of Tata Consultancy Services, Indigo Airlines and India Book of Records, among many more eminent personalities and organizations, according to the family.
- Featured on Discovery Channel, NDTV, India Today, Disney International, Times of India, The Telegraph, The Hindu and other media platforms since 2018.
- A Class 7 student at Delhi Public School Megacity Kolkata, ranked first in his grade (GP1) every year since 2018, with near-perfect attendance.
- 12 World Records certified by India Book of Records, Asia Book of Records, International Book of Records and World Book of Records, London (2019-2026), including recognition under International Book of Records as the youngest kid to publish the maximum number of books and, separately, the maximum number of books in a single year, and recognition under India Book of Records as the youngest kid whose books have been published in the maximum number of foreign languages.
- Periodic-table recitation in about 42 seconds and identification of 100 phonetic words in 44 seconds, among the fastest-recitation claims credited to him.
- 36 published books and a three-time winner (2023-24 through 2025-26) of the National Young Authors Fair; named ‘Child Author of the Year 2025-26’ at the Kolkata Literary Carnival.
- More than 150 coding apps and games built since 2021; placed 1st in the Eastern India zonal round, 10th in Asia and 20th globally in the 2024-25 iCode Global Hackathon.
- Named a Sustainable Development Goal Ambassador by Tata Consultancy Services after completing 17 levels of the Mission SDG Early Bird Contest.
- 1st internationally in the Unicus Global Mathematics Olympiad and 2nd internationally in the CREST Mathematics Olympiad and SOF Cyber Olympiad (2025-26).
- 1st in West Bengal and 5th in India in the WIZ Spell Bee National Mega Final (2023-24).
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Abhiraj Shee’s memory records certified by Guinness World Records?
No. His records are certified by India Book of Records, Asia Book of Records, International Book of Records and World Book of Records, London — separate private organizations from Guinness World Records.
How did Abhiraj Shee train for rapid recitation records?
His family describes years of repetition-based practice using flash cards and self-built study games, though the training method has not been independently documented by a third party.
Sources and Further Reading
Visit- India Book of Records — Fastest Child to Read 100 Phonetic Words
Visit- IndiaNews365 — news report