Small towns, big dreams: Punjab’s Tapa Mandi boy among NEET 2025 toppers

In Haryana’s Karnal, Arsh Gandhi scored AIR 11. Besides Gandhi, several success stories came to fore across Haryana including a woman and her niece in Nuh and two brothers in Narnaul who scored high ranks in the result declared Saturday.

Over 60,000 students had registered and became eligible to take the NEET (UG) exam on May 4 in Haryana. A total of 162 examination centres were established across the state, with 60,687 students who took the exam.

Son of a doctor couple Meenu Gandhi and Arun Gandhi who run a Arun Gandhi hospital in Karnal, Arsh got 99.9995021 percentile. He had taken coaching from a private institute of Karnal.

Talking to the media persons, Arsh said that it was his first attempt. “I was consistent in my study routine. I used to solve previous examination’s test series that help me understand the examination pattern in a better manner. That also improved my timing. Whatever doubts I used to have, I used to get those cleared by consulting my teachers. I took about two years to prepare for the NEET examination. I got 96 percent marks in my board examinations”.

In Punjab, coming from a modest background— a homeopathy practitioner and his mother a homemaker — Keshav relied on a mix of online and offline coaching, demonstrating how small-town students are leveraging technology to compete nationally.

“People often think students in small towns have fewer opportunities, but the internet has changed everything. With access to online content and coaching, we can compete with anyone,” said Keshav, who studied at DM Public School, Kararwala (Bathinda) and took coaching from Allen Institute, Chandigarh.

A consistent academic performer, Keshav scored 98% in Class 12 and 97% in Class 10, maintaining over 95% throughout his school years.

He said he studied 8–9 hours a day, mostly at night, and focused entirely on schoolwork, NEET preparation, and mock tests for two years, avoiding all distractions and social engagements.

“If we are regular and focused, cracking competitive exams becomes easier. We must sacrifice some things for two years to achieve bigger goals,” Keshav shared, calling his selection to AIIMS Delhi a dream come true. Keshav’s younger brother, Saksham Mittal, a Class 9 student, is inspired by his brother’s achievement and is now considering his future options. His father proudly added, “I don’t think anyone from Tapa Mandi has ever achieved such a rank in any entrance exam. This shows that small towns are the new future of India.”

More small-town stars from Punjab

Keshav is not alone in this success story. Tisha Jain, a student from Malerkotla, secured All India Rank 51 with a score of 655/720, becoming Punjab’s top-ranking girl candidate. Her father, Gaurav Jain, owns a kirana store in Malerkotla and said she studied at DPS Dhuri and took coaching from Allen, Mohali. She scored 94% in class 12.

“We were confident she would be among the top 100. She worked hard and stayed focused throughout,” said her father, adding, “Small towns are no roadblock to success.”

Tisha, too, plans to join AIIMS Delhi, and credited her success to discipline and hard work. “Consistency and focus matter more than anything else,” she said. Punjab’s NEET 2025 results prove that success is no longer confined to metro cities—from Malerkotla to Barnala, small towns are emerging as the new talent hubs of India.

Other notable performers from Punjab include Himank Baghel (AIR 28), Mohd Sameer (AIR 33), Naveen Mittal (AIR 49), Arman Beri (AIR 77), Raghav Garg (AIR 87), Janav Bansal (AIR 89), Rupesh Garg (AIR 97).