Gujarat’s JEE glory: Ahmedabad boy secures AIR 22

Ahmedabad/ Rajkot/ Vadodara: Gujarat students delivered an impressive performance in the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Advanced 2026, the gateway to the prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), with Ahmedabad’s Aditya Thakur, securing All India Rank (AIR) 22 after the results were declared on Monday.

According to estimates, four students from Gujarat are among the top 200 ranks nationwide, while eight students feature within the Top 1000.

Thakur, born and raised in Ahmedabad though originally tracing his roots to Uttar Pradesh, credited his disciplined preparation and parental support for the achievement. His father is a polymer engineer while his mother is a homemaker.

“I started preparing seriously from Class 11. The rigorous testing schedule at my coaching institute helped me immensely. I must have solved and written over 200 papers during preparation," Thakur said.

Having earlier secured AIR 230 in JEE Main, he said he was confident of a strong showing in the advanced examination as well. Aditya now hopes to pursue computer science engineering (CSE) at IIT Bombay, calling it his "dream course".

Rajkot students also made their mark with Mokshrajsinh Jadeja securing AIR 135 and Nimay Purohit obtaining AIR 141. Jadeja’s journey stood out as he studied in Gujarati medium till Class 10.

“Language is never a barrier if concepts are clear," Jadeja said, adding that he too aims to pursue computer science engineering.

Purohit, whose parents are doctors, said consistency played the biggest role in his success. "Regular studies and giving equal attention to all subjects helped me maintain balance throughout preparation," he said.

Vadodara students also featured among the top performers. Dev Prajapati secured AIR 174 along with rank 26 in the OBC category, while Pranshu Gupta achieved AIR 274, according to city-based coaching institutes.