JEE Main 2024 topper: How hard work and passion helped a farmer's son clear one of the toughest exams in India

Each year, lakhs of students prepare for the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE), but only a few thousand make the cut. It is one of the toughest exams in India and requires proper guidance and consistency in effort. On Wednesday night, the National Testing Agency (NTA) announced the results of JEE-Main, and a farmer’s son, Gajare Nilkrishna Nirmalkumar

emerged as a topper of the prestigious exam.

This year, a record 56 candidates, including two females, have achieved 100 NTA score in JEE-Main exam, which is conducted every year to select students for the 23 Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) institutes spread across India.

Read More: 56 candidates score 100 percentile, Check full Jee Mains 2024 Toppers List

Nilkrishna's journey so far is a tale of hardship and indomitable courage, as he faced many challenges and financial constraints but never gave up and achieved a perfect score of 300 out of 300 in the JEE Main exam.

As reported by The Free Press Journal, Nilkrishna’s father is a farmer, while his mother is a homemaker, and he hails from Maharashtra.

Interestingly, Nilkrishna’s parents don't know much about JEE, and they were surprised when they heard about their son's performances.

“It was shocking for me as well as my parents. While it did feel a little strange at first, my parents’ reaction changed as I explained to them,” The Free Press Journal quoted Nilkrishna as saying.

Despite facing many financial hardships, Nilkrishna's parents made sure that their son got everything he needed to continue his studies.

Since his childhood, Nilkrishna has grown up amidst financial constraints and also has a little sister. However, his parents never compromised on his studies and made sure he had everything that he needed for his studies.

Being a diligent student, Nilkrishna harboured ambitions of attending IIT since the 10th grade.

“I made up my mind to aim for JEE and pursue B.Tech from IIT when I was in class 10,” asserted Nilkrishna, who had previously achieved an impressive 97% in his Board Exams.

While his goal is to pursue B.Tech in the CS branch at IIT Mumbai, he added, “At the moment, my primary focus is on the 12th board exams and JEE Advanced.”

When discussing his recipe for success, he emphasized that having a clear understanding of concepts, combined with consistent revision and practice, is essential for clearing exams like JEE.

It may seem extreme, but he dedicated 10 to 12 hours each day to self-study.

“It pains me to witness my father enduring challenging circumstances while I pursue my education,” said Nilkrishna.

He strategically pursues scholarship opportunities to alleviate the financial burden on his family.