NEET UG 2026 Topper Aryan Gupta On His 16-Hour Study Routine
NEET UG 2026 AIR 1 Aryan Gupta studied 16-17 hours daily to fulfil a childhood pledge, inspired by his grandmother's death from cancer.
AC Team
Every year, lakhs of students sit for NEET UG, hoping for a seat in a good medical college. Only a handful reach the very top. This year, that spot belongs to Aryan Gupta, a student from Ludhiana who scored 715 out of 720 marks and secured All India Rank 1.
His story is not just about marks. It is about a promise he made to himself as a young boy, and the discipline he built to keep that promise.
A Result That Shook Up The Charts
The National Testing Agency announced the NEET UG 2026 results on a Thursday, and the numbers tell their own story. Out of 11.21 lakh candidates who qualified, only 138 scored 690 marks or above. Just 19 students crossed the 700 mark. Aryan sits right at the top of that small group, sharing the AIR 1 title.
For a family with two doctors already in the house, this felt like the perfect addition. "My father and mother are both doctors. The entire family is very happy," Aryan said after the results came out.
The 16-Hour Routine
Ask any topper about their secret, and you rarely get a simple answer. Aryan's answer, though, is refreshingly direct: hard work, and a lot of it.
"I studied for 16-17 hours a day. There were days when I would not get sleep. But I kept going because I had set a goal for myself," he shared.
That kind of schedule sounds tough for most of us who struggle to focus for even two hours without checking our phones. But Aryan's routine shows what happens when a goal becomes personal, not just another item on a to-do list.
The Reason Behind The Goal
Here is where his story turns from impressive to moving. Aryan was in Class 3 when he lost his grandmother to cancer. That loss stayed with him.
"My grandmother died because of cancer when I was in the third standard. That day I took a pledge that I will work in this field," he said. That pledge, made by a small child, guided every late night of study years later. He now plans to specialise as an oncologist, treating the very disease that took someone he loved.
It is easy to talk about passion in interviews. It is harder to prove it through years of quiet, consistent effort. Aryan's journey does exactly that.
Sharing The Credit
Despite the long hours and the pressure of competing with over a million students, Aryan stayed grounded when talking about his success.
"There is so much to do in life. But right now I am feeling good. This achievement belongs to my parents, teachers and everyone who believed in me," he said.
That kind of gratitude often gets lost in the excitement of a big win, so it is worth noticing here.
A Proud Moment For Punjab
News of Aryan's rank spread fast, and congratulations poured in from beyond his family. Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring and Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia both sent their wishes, calling his achievement a source of inspiration for students preparing for competitive exams across the country.
For a state that produces thousands of NEET aspirants every year, having a topper from Ludhiana adds a nice bit of local pride to a national exam.
What Aryan's Story Teaches Aspiring Students
You do not need a dramatic backstory to work hard, but having a clear reason helps on the days when motivation runs low. Aryan's routine was extreme, and it will not suit everyone. What matters more is the steady focus behind it, built around a goal that meant something personal to him.
For the thousands of students who will attempt NEET again next year, his story is a reminder that scores are built one disciplined day at a time, and that the reason you show up matters just as much as how long you study.
