Nagpur student Kovid Boob secured the top rank in the Scheduled Caste (SC) category in JEE Advanced 2026, the results of which were declared on Monday.
With a Common Rank List (CRL) rank of 82, Kovid was also among the two students from the city to feature in the national top 100.The other high achiever was Kovid’s classmate Madhav Notani, who secured an All India Rank (AIR) of 25. Madhav is also likely to be the highest-ranked candidate from Maharashtra among students who prepared in Nagpur rather than moving to Kota for coaching.
JEE Advanced serves as the gateway to the prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs). Madhav, who aspires to pursue engineering at IIT Bombay, said the journey was not always easy.”During preparation, I often felt that other students grasped concepts much faster than I did. There were moments when I questioned whether I was capable of cracking one of the country’s toughest examinations,” he said.
What kept him motivated was his determination to return to his hometown, Gondia, only after achieving something significant.Coming from a middle-class family, Madhav credited his success to the unwavering support of his parents. His father works as a civil engineer in a private company. “My parents never allowed me to lose hope,” he said.Madhav followed a disciplined routine, attending around five hours of coaching classes daily while diligently completing his coursework.
Kovid attributed his success to three years of focused preparation, consistent hard work and the guidance of his elder sister, Laher, an IIT Guwahati graduate who now works with Infosys. He said watching her academic journey convinced him that dedication and perseverance are the keys to success.”She inspired me and shared valuable strategies that helped me remain focused throughout my preparation,” Kovid said.
A mathematics enthusiast from an early age, Kovid viewed engineering as a natural career path. He also participated in several Olympiads, which helped strengthen his analytical abilities and conceptual understanding.Chemistry proved to be his most challenging subject. He admitted making several avoidable mistakes in mock tests but worked consistently to improve his accuracy.
While excited about joining an IIT, Kovid said he is still exploring his long-term goals. “I have not finalised my plans yet. For now, I want to make the most of the opportunities ahead,” he said.Nationally, 1,79,694 candidates appeared for both papers of JEE Advanced 2026, of whom 56,880 qualified.
Shubham Kumar from the IIT Delhi zone emerged as the national topper with 330 marks out of 360. Arohi Deshpande, also from the IIT Delhi zone, was the highest-ranked female candidate, securing 280 marks out of 360 and a CRL rank of 77.
In the IIT Bombay zone, which covers Maharashtra, 12,389 candidates qualified, including 120 students who secured places in the top 500 ranks.
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