Meet NEET-UG topper with AIR 1, who also cracked JEE with 99.28 percentile, he is from...

Some achievements are so exceptional that they become a story of inspiration and great influence. One such inspiration is 2021 NEET-UG topper Mrinal Kutteri. 

Mrinal Kutteri was born and raised in Hyderabad and lives with his parents, younger brother and grandparents. His family is originally from Kerala. His inspiration to become a doctor did not come from his family as no immediate member is a doctor.  

Mrinal had scored AIR 1 in NEET-UG in 2021 and before that he had cracked the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) and Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana (KVPY) exam. Since class 8 Mrinal had been interested in Biology and Chemistry subjects. He then started preparing for NEET for almost 3.5 years and in classes 11 and 12 he studied through Aakash Institute.    

Why Mrinal Katteri chose to become doctor? 

The top rank holder revealed that he took the JEE exam solely for practice, as physics and chemistry are common subjects, and surprisingly scored 99.28 percentile. He also cleared the KVPY exam and initially considered a career in genetics research. However, after cracking NEET and fueled by his passion for biology, he decided to pursue a career in medicine instead. 

“I wanted to initially become an army doctor and live a life of medicine and adventure but that gradually turned into an interest mainly in medicine. Also, the pandemic had an impact as it was inspiring to see doctors all across the world on the frontlines,” he told India Today in an interview.  

Mrinal Katteri shares preparation strategy 

Talking about his preparations, in the same interview he shared that he was never strict about a rigid daily schedule where he kept specific time for studies. During coronavirus lockdown period he used his free time in pursuing hobbies, however, that affected his studies, and he then adjusted his time. To manage both studies and hobbies, which he never gave up, he formed a free-form and flexible pattern and made short-term one day goals.  

“There were many days when I couldn’t achieve the goal, but it was not about getting demotivated or discouraged. Being okay with this free form is what I think really helped me,” he said. He also shared that the time he used to dedicate to studies varied each day and some days he could not study at all.   

Mrinal's parents, an HR marketing consultant and a software engineer, encouraged his unique study approach. Unlike others, he studied in 45-minute increments, taking 10-15 minute breaks to rest his mind and body. His parents and teachers supported this schedule, ensuring he didn't feel pressured, allowing him to study effectively while maintaining a healthy balance.