Avoiding social media and negative news helped him succeed
Our Correspondent / Gaya
In a remarkable achievement that has brought pride to Bihar, Shubham Kumar from Gaya secured All India Rank (AIR) 1 in JEE Advanced 2026, one of the country’s toughest engineering entrance examinations. The son of a small hardware shop owner, Shubham scored an outstanding 330 out of 360 marks, emerging as the national topper.
A resident of Nadarganj in Gaya, Shubham’s success story is being celebrated across Bihar. His father, Shiv Kumar, runs a modest hardware store, while his mother, Kanchan Devi, is a homemaker. Despite limited resources, the family supported his dream of studying at an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT).
Shubham had earlier created a record by scoring a perfect 300 out of 300 and achieving a 100 percentile in both sessions of JEE Main 2026. He was also the only student from Bihar to feature among the national top ranks, securing AIR 6 in JEE Main.
Speaking to media persons after the results, Shubham said his achievement was the result of two years of dedicated preparation. “I worked consistently for JEE Advanced and hoped for a good rank. Securing AIR 1 is a dream come true,” he said.
After completing his schooling, Shubham moved to Kota for specialized coaching. He credits his success to the support of his parents, teachers, and his elder sister, who is a student at IIT Patna. According to him, strong conceptual understanding rather than rote learning is the key to cracking highly competitive examinations like JEE Advanced.
Shubham, who belongs to the IIT Delhi zone, now aims to pursue B.Tech in Computer Science from IIT Bombay and build a career in technology.
“There should be a willpower, an urge from inside that we have to do something — only then can we achieve our goal,” he said.
Away from social media
Shubham made a conscious decision to stay away from social media. He used his phone only to stay connected with his parents and his teachers. “Social media is a time drain, but more than that, it is a mental drain. When you are preparing for something this demanding, every hour of attention matters,” he said.
CM Congratulates
Congratulating him on the achievement, Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary said Shubham’s success had brought glory to the state and would inspire millions of students. He praised the youngster’s discipline, dedication, and hard work, calling the achievement a shining example for aspiring engineers across the country.
This year, 1,79,694 candidates appeared for JEE Advanced, of whom 56,880 qualified for admission to the IITs. While the IIT Delhi zone secured the top three national ranks, Shubham Kumar’s journey from a small business family in Gaya to becoming India’s top engineering aspirant has emerged as one of the most inspiring success stories of the year.