NEET 2021: 18-Yr-Old Tanmay Gupta Creates History, Becomes First From J&K To Score Perfect 720/720

Tanmay Gupta on Monday, November 1, brought laurels to Jammu and Kashmir after becoming the first student from the Union Territory to score a perfect 720 out of 720 in this year's NEET( National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test).

The 18-year-old has now secured a seat for medicine in the country's top institute. He shared his position with two other students among more than 16 lakh aspirants who appeared in NEET 2021 held on September 12.

Gupta said that he started dancing with joy and jumped around the room after his father broke the news that he had topped the prestigious examination.

"I was constantly checking the website, but because of the rush, it perhaps crashed. But when Dad called up to say that I had topped, I was thrilled and started jumping. It took time to sink in," an elated Gupta told News18.

As soon as his results were out, congratulatory messages started pouring in. From Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to politicians to bureaucrats, everyone had words of praise for his achievement.

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Sharing his secret of success, Gupta said he had planned his studies well with family support, instead of being a bookworm. Since being a bright student, the teenager shifted from Jammu to Delhi after passing his 10th exams to get access to better coaching. He wanted to compete with a bigger and brighter pool of students.

"When I told my father that studying outside Jammu would make me eligible for more seats, he agreed and supported it fully," Gupta said.

Gupta studied in Delhi for the last two years in a private institution. He said that the exposure to the big city and the company of his fellow students helped him in a big way.

"He was keen to expose himself to a better academic culture. So we allowed him to move out. We kept motivating him by regularly shuttling from Jammu to Delhi," said Gupta's father, Dr Akshay Gupta, a dentist by profession.

"We were expecting a score between 680 to 700, but 720 was out of our mind," he added.

The topper agreed that he expected good marks but scoring a perfect result was no less than a dream.

"After returning from my coaching classes, I used to study four to five hours in the evening. It was a daily routine. I would set small goals in the morning and achieve them by the evening. I am not a night person and would conclude my studies by 10 pm. So there used to be no strain the next day," he explained.

When he got bored from studies, Gupta said, he would either meet his friends or go swimming. "I watched Olympics to distract myself sometimes. One can also watch television or read a book in between," he informed.

Talking about his future plans, the teenager said he would probably get admission to AIIMS, Delhi, and complete his MBBS degree. He will later decide on what to take for specialisation.

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