JEE Advanced 2025: Mumbai’s Parth, Sahil top; families relocated to support their preparation

Growing up in a highly academic joint family in Vile Parle, Parth’s inclination toward studies came naturally. “He genuinely enjoyed studying — we never had to remind him, even as a young child,” said his mother, Dr Mrunal Vartak.

Although their Vile Parle home is not far from Marol, the Vartak family temporarily relocated to Andheri to minimize Parth’s commute to the coaching center. “Traffic in Mumbai is unpredictable — even a short distance can cost two valuable hours,” Dr Vartak explained, sharing the reason behind their decision to move into a rented apartment closer to the institute.

Parth believed that setting goals and taking efforts to meet them is the best way toward success. “Being passionate about your goal is non-negotiable. If you love the journey, you’ll stay focused and keep learning,” he said. The weekly mock-tests at his coaching institute which replicate the JEE-Advanced exam helped Parth to prepare well with smaller goals. “Every weekend, I would get a thorough evaluation of my strengths and weaknesses,” said Sahil.

Sahil Deo: A Strategic Move from Nashik to Mumbai

For Sahil Deo, the road to AIR 7 was paved with strategy, sacrifice, and support. Although delighted by Sahil’s impressive rank, it wasn’t an unexpected result for the Deo family which shifted city from Nashik to Mumbai just so that Sahil gets good JEE preparation. Sahil was also a student at Narayana E-Techno School in Marol.

Originally from Nashik, the Deo family shifted base to Andheri in Mumbai two years ago to ensure Sahil received the best JEE coaching environment. “It was a small move for a big dream,” said his father, Mukesh Deo, a mechanical engineer, reasoning the family’s move to ensure that Sahil does not feel alone while preparing for JEE. “He was very much focused when it came to studies and we were sure that he would get a good score,” said the father.

His elder brother, Vedant — an IIT Delhi graduate in CSE — has been a support for him throughout the rigorous and extensive training for JEE for the past two years. According to Sahil, setting up small goals and working toward achieving them was his strategy for success. “Every weekly test was a checkpoint. I used the feedback to fine-tune my preparation for the next one,” said Sahil, who gave up his FIDE-rated chess pursuits to fully dedicate time and energy on the JEE goal. To unwind, he would turn to reading and watching science documentaries on YouTube.