Navi Mumbai boy tops JEE Main along with 17 across India

Snehadeep Gayen, seen with his family, is one of five from the state who scored 100 percentile

As the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main final rank list was declared on Wednesday, Atharva Tambat from Navi Mumbai shone with the All India Rank 1 which he shares with 17 others across the country. Atharva not only has 100 percentile, he got the perfect score of 300/300. He is also among five from Maharashtra who have scored 100 percentile out of a total of 44 from across India. Gargi Bakshi, Snehadeep Gayen, Sourabh Kulkarni, Ameya Prashant Deshmukh are the other four from Maharashtra with 100 percentile. Gargi tops among girls in the state, too.

The JEE (Main) which determines admissions to engineering courses across India is also a qualifying step for Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) aspirants, as shortlisted candidates from here appear for JEE (Advanced). This year the JEE Main was held after four attempts considering the pandemic conditions.

Atharva Tambat is now focused on clearing JEE-Advanced

A student of Ryan FIITJEE Integrated Junior college in Sanpada, Atharva appeared for two out of the total four attempts of JEE, in February and in March wherein he scored 99.97 percentile and 100 percentile, respectively. "In the final rank list, his best score has been considered declared already. After securing the perfect score, Atharva did not appear for the remaining two attempts," said Abhijit Tambat, Atharva's father. Atharva is now focused on clearing JEE-Advanced. Abhijit is an engineer and Atharva was always interested in the engineering field since he was in Std VIII. A very good painter, he stopped the extra-curricular activity to focus on JEE. "He is looking forward to joining IIT-Bombay in the Computer Science stream," said Abhijit. A resident of Vashi, Atharva went to St Mary's ICSE School in Koparkhairane, where he ranked first in Std X. The online studies pattern actually worked for Atharva, as he indulges more in self-study. It also allowed him more time to study.

Gargi, a student of PACE Junior College in Dadar, is a native of Nashik but had shifted to Mumbai after securing admission to the college. She stayed with her maternal grandmother for a year. Post the COVID-19 outbreak, as colleges decided to go online, she shifted base to her hometown. Gargi who also appeared for two attempts, was unhappy with her first attempt score which was 99.95 percentile. And with a 100 percentile score in the second attempt, she proved it. Daughter of a dentist couple, Gargi, just like her elder brother, Sahil, was always interested in the mathematics and technology field. With the previous JEE-Mains score, Gargi has secured admission to IIIT Hyderabad where Sahil is pursuing a dual degree. "That was her plan B if the IIT dream doesn't pan out. Now all eyes are on JEE -Advanced which will determine her admission to IIT," Dr Makrand Bakshi, her father had told mid-day in March when Gargi scored 100 percentile.

Gargi Bakshi is interested in mathematics, tech

Snehadeep Gayen, a resident of BKC, is a first-generation engineering student in his family of four where his mother is a teacher while his father is a banker. "I am hopeful to join IIT Bombay for Computer Science Engineering," said Snehadeep, a student of PACE Junior College, who is looking forward to getting back to his extra-curricular interest in athletics once his admission is secured. When asked what message he would like give other aspirants, Snehadeep said, "It is very important to stay motivated to work hard as there is no option for it."