Meet man, who bagged AIR 1 in JEE Advance, studied at IIT Bombay, now pursuing PhD at prestigious college in...

While many IIT graduates aspire to land lucrative corporate positions or become renowned engineers after earning their degrees, there are a few individuals whose passion for learning compels them to continue their educational journey, despite already achieving great academic success. Anumula Jithendar Reddy exemplifies this rare dedication. After securing the top spot in the 2010 IIT-JEE Advanced exam with All India Rank (AIR) 1 and completing his B.Tech in Electrical Engineering from IIT Bombay, Reddy took an unconventional path. 

Rather than entering the corporate world, Reddy's unquenchable curiosity led him to pursue further studies. He went on to earn a Master's degree (M.Tech) from the prestigious ETH Zurich in Switzerland, and is now working towards a PhD at the Institute of Neuroinformatics, a joint program between ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich.

Hailing from a middle-class family in Warangal, Telangana (then part of Andhra Pradesh), Jithendar grew up in an environment where education was highly valued. His father, Ramachandra Reddy, was a professor at the National Institute of Technology (NIT), and his mother, T. Shobha, taught at a government school, fostering a home atmosphere where learning was a priority.

After excelling in his early schooling in Warangal and later at St. Gabriel’s High School, Jithendar's talent in mathematics and science became evident. Following his stellar performance in his Class 12 exams, he set his sights on the IIT-JEE, ultimately emerging as the top scorer in one of the toughest entrance exams in India in 2010. This achievement earned him admission to IIT Bombay, where he completed his B.Tech in Electrical Engineering.

Post-graduation, Jithendar briefly interned with QEA Eduventures and later worked with Caltech SURFriends, a tech startup in California. However, unlike many of his peers, he chose not to follow the traditional corporate route. Instead, his relentless pursuit of knowledge led him to ETH Zurich, where he earned his Master's degree in 2017.

Still driven by his passion for learning, Jithendar is now working on his PhD at the Institute of Neuroinformatics, with several influential research papers to his name. His journey stands as a powerful reminder that the true purpose of education is not merely to secure financial success, but to continually seek knowledge and push the boundaries of human understanding.