Chase excellence, not rank: JEE Advanced topper with AIR 2 Saksham Jindal

Getting a top rank in JEE Advanced isn't easy. It takes steady effort, clear understanding, and staying motivated through ups and downs. Many students begin with a simple goal—to study well and do their best. But sometimes, with the right support and hard work, that goal turns into something big.That's what happened with Saksham Jindal. At first, he just wanted to give his best. But when he started scoring high in weekly tests at ALLEN and got 100 percentile in the JEE Main January session, he felt more confident. After getting AIR 10 in the April session of JEE Main, he started to believe that a top rank in JEE Advanced was truly possible.advertisementRajit Gupta tops with 332/360, from IIT Delhi zoneA HUMBLE START, THEN REALISATION OF A BIGGER DREAM
When Saksham Jindal began his JEE preparation, his only aim was to give it his best shot. But things changed quickly as he started topping weekly tests at ALLEN and later secured a perfect 100 percentiles in the JEE Main January session.'The real turning point was after JEE Main April, when I got AIR 10. That's when I knew a top rank in JEE Advanced was possible,' he recalls.COVID SETBACK, AND HOW HE BOUNCED BACKSaksham was a district-level cricketer before the pandemic struck. With outdoor sports coming to a halt, he had to let go of his sporting dreams.'It was emotionally tough, but I channelled that energy into my studies,' he says.advertisementEven during JEE prep, he had his low moments. 'When my scores dropped or I felt burnt out, my mentors at ALLEN stood by me. Their belief in me kept me going.'FUEL BEHIND HIS MOTIVATIONWhat kept him steady through the highs and lows? A mix of love for learning, supportive parenting, and the right peer environment.'I've always loved Mathematics and dreamed of IIT Bombay. My parents gave me freedom and never pressured me. The healthy competition in Kota also pushed me every day.'FINDING BALANCE IN THE PRESSURE COOKERDespite the pressure of JEE prep, Saksham maintained a balance.'I believe consistency is more important than long hours. I made time to listen to music, talk to friends, and sleep well. When stressed, I stepped away from books instead of forcing it,' he shares.ALLEN's structure of tests and doubt sessions also helped reduce uncertainty.MENTORS WHO MADE THE DIFFERENCESaksham credits a big part of his success to the support at ALLEN.'The regular tests, study material, and doubt sessions were excellent—but what mattered most was how my teachers believed in me, even when I didn't,' he says.TECH DREAMS AT IIT BOMBAYSaksham plans to join IIT Bombay for Computer Science, drawn by its vibrant tech and startup ecosystem.advertisement'I'm fascinated by AI and hope to build something impactful. I'm also open to research if I find the right area,' he shares.-----'Don't just chase the rank—chase excellence,' Saksham advises.'Bad days will happen, but don't let them define you. Stay connected with family and mentors—they're your biggest strength. Fall in love with learning, and results will follow.'

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Indian Express

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• Indian Express

Learning to balance, lead, and grow: Lessons beyond the classroom at IIT Guwahati

– Mithil Sandhineni After my Class 10, I had to choose either science, commerce, or humanities. As someone who likes science, I was left with two major options – either the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) or the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET UG). I chose JEE not because of something I loved, but because of something I hated. My strong dislike for biology during school naturally pushed me towards the other subjects. Even though I had no clue about JEE at the time, I decided to move ahead with it, keeping in mind my comfort and interest in subjects like physics and mathematics. Later, I started finding physics interesting, which helped me prepare well. In addition to other teachers in my coaching institute, Rajesh Sir and Naveen Sir, who were IITians, shared stories about their life at IIT. These stories highly motivated me to aim for a seat and experience such a wonderful life at an IIT. Schooling and JEE preparation I did my schooling in DAV Public School, Hyderabad. My focus wasn't solely on academics; I took part in various school activities, including sports like volleyball and kho-kho. Due to the pandemic, my Class 10 exam was conducted online, and I missed making good memories of my final year in school. Later, I joined a coaching institute in Hyderabad. I completed my Class 11 and Class 12 in Sri Chaitanya Junior College. Even though my house was located in Hyderabad, I had to stay in a hostel to focus on my JEE preparation. As a person who gets distracted easily, I feel that the environment was suitable for me. I appeared for JEE Main and JEE Advanced in 2023 and secured a rank of 4278 in JEE Advanced and 6592 in JEE Main. I chose JEE simply with the wish to pursue engineering, not with any particular IIT in mind. Later, I decided that I wanted to get into one of the top seven IITs. After carefully evaluating all the options I had, the best ones were Chemical Engineering at IIT Madras and Mechanical Engineering at IIT Guwahati (IITG). Due to my interest in physics, I chose Mechanical at IITG. I'm thankful for this decision — not just academically, but also because it led me to meet my amazing friends. My days at IIT Guwahati I came to IIT Guwahati in July 2023. This wasn't exactly my first time away from home, as I had lived in a hostel during my JEE preparation. But this time, it truly felt like being away — since I had moved to the other side of the country and couldn't just go back whenever I wanted. I felt homesick for a day or two, but eventually, I made some amazing friends, and after that, I didn't think about home as much. Honestly, it wasn't very difficult for me to adjust here. We had classes for about three hours a day and three labs per week, each lasting three hours, with Saturdays and Sundays off. This schedule gave me the chance to explore other things. I made good friends in my class and hostel as well. Even today, I hang out with my hostel friends – it's like a mandatory part of the day. The schedule wasn't hectic for me to manage; it felt well-balanced between academics and extracurriculars. But one thing that did take time to adjust to was the food. It didn't taste like home-cooked meals, and that was a bit tough initially, but eventually, I got used to it. I used to play volleyball during my school days, but due to my JEE preparation, I didn't get time to play. So, after coming here, I started playing volleyball again in the evenings from 6 to 9 after classes with my friends. Then, I got into the volleyball club and also joined the cultural fest, Alcheringa team. I was also elected as the Branch Representative (BR). It was not hectic in the first semester since we had very little academic pressure and enough free time. From the second semester, I joined the Consulting and Analytics Club, the AI Club, and the Techniche team. When exams are near, I reduce the time I spend on non-academic activities like playing volleyball for an hour instead of three. I completely focus on my academics when I sit down to study and keep distractions as far away as I can. What I have learned at IIT Guwahati, my future plans Comparing the person I was before and who I am now, my personality has developed a lot. By interacting with people coming from various states across India, I understood different cultures and mindsets, which helped me become more open-minded. As a BR, I developed leadership qualities in order to act upon my branch-mates' concerns and communicate them effectively to the professors, along with guiding my juniors when they were new to the campus. As a team member of fests, I learned formal communication and coordination across different teams. 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The Hindu

2 days ago

• The Hindu

Encourage students to choose core engineering courses: IIT-M Director

Students who wish to join engineering must be encouraged to choose core engineering programmes, said V. Kamakoti, Director of the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras. At an event organised by the Pan IIT Alumni Leadership Series here on Friday, Mr. Kamakoti said 99.9% of toppers in JEE (Advanced) had chosen computer science and engineering. 'We must see a significant number of students go into core engineering. If a topper chooses civil or mechanical engineering it should be because they like it. We must reach out to students in the core engineering departments and try to educate them on professions,' he said. Since autonomous colleges had the freedom to design their curriculum they could fine tune their syllabus to align their curriculum and research with the 17 sustainable development goals. Institutions must also consider introducing interdisciplinary programmes, he said. Students can go for dual degrees, take the GATE. Humanities could tweak their syllabi to encourage students to take up civil services as the country needed to have administrators who are tech-savvy policy makers for future India, he said. IIT-Tirupati director Kalidindi N. Satyanarayana recalled his early efforts of reaching out to engineering colleges to explain the importance of the discipline. The country had completed only half its requirement of infrastructure, he said, emphasising the need for more students to take up core engineering programmes. Directors from IITs in Dharwad, Hyderabad, and Bhubhaneshwar also shared their insights on engineering education at the PALS (Pan IIT Alumni Leadership Series) event. Vijayalakshmi Sankar, co-chair of PALS who presented the annual report said it had delivered 29 programmes reaching out to 23,600 students. It worked with around 50 engineering institutions in six States and Nepal. PALS is an initiative of the IIT alumni that conducts outreach programmes for engineering colleges, including management, faculty and students.

NDTV

2 days ago

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West Bengal Joint Entrance Examination 2025 Result To Be OUT Soon, Details Here

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