Meet Indian genius, who cracked JEE with AIR... later topped NEET UG 2025 exam with 99.99 percentile, he is from...

More than 12.36 lakh candidates qualified for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Undergraduate (NEET-UG), the largest entrance exam in the country, this year. Among them, this topper scored an impressive 99.9996832 percentile to secure an All India Rank of 7, he is Keshav Mittal. The 17-year-old hails from Tapa town in Punjab’s Barnala district and emerged as the highest scorer from the state. 

Keshav scored 680 marks out of a total of 720, cracking the medical entrance exam on his first attempt. He undertook coaching at a private institute in Chandigarh. He studied at DM Public Senior Secondary School, Karar Wala, Bathinda district.  He was the topper in the medical stream in his Class 12 board exam. For his NEET preparation, he used to study for eight to nine hours daily and limited his smartphone usage to about 30 minutes a day. "I mainly followed the guidance of my coaching institute, apart from following the NCERT books. Before the exam, I attempted at least 150 mock tests that helped me to improve my preparation,” he shared his preparation strategy with ET Now Digital. 

Keshav revealed that he found NEET paper difficult as compared to previous years, especially Physics., followed by Biology and Chemistry. He is all set to fulfil his parents' dream to become a doctor and looking forward to joining the MBBS batch of AIIMS Delhi. Born to Dr Prabodh Mittal, a homoeopathic doctor and homemaker mother, Sunita, the topper dreams of being a neurosurgeon. 

Besides NEET, Keshav also appeared for JEE Mains where he secured over 10,000 rank. 

Keshav also shared tips for NEET aspirants, advising them to focus on thoroughly studying NCERT books. He also suggested staying motivated, and regularly attempting mock tests and practicing previous years' sample papers. Emphasising hard work and dedication, he asked aspirants to self-study with coaching institute support. He also stressed the importance of online resources available for NEET preparation. In addition, he said free mock tests offered by coaching institutes also enhance NEET preparation. 

Meanwhile, the top 10 rank holders of NEET are: Mahesh Kumar (Rank 1), Utkarsh Awadhiya (Rank 2), Krishang Joshi (Rank 3), Mrinal Kishore Jha (Rank 4), Avika Aggarwal (Rank 5), Jenil Vinodbhai Bhayani (Rank 6), Keshav Mittal (Rank 7), Jha Bhavya Chirag (Rank 8), Harsh Kedawat (Rank 9), and Aarav Agrawal (Rank 10).