Tricity students excel in NEET-UG results: ‘Consistency is the key'

Indian Express

15-06-2025

Choosing a career in medicine was an obvious decision for Nandika Sarin, who secured an All-India Rank of 98 in the NEET-UG medical entrance exam, scoring 646 marks and 99.9954737 percentile.
Nandika hails from a family of doctors — her father Dr Jatin Sarin is a medical oncologist; her mother Dr Rimpi Sarin is a pathologist; and her sister Dr Akshita Sarin graduated with an MBBS from GMCH 32.
Nandika did her schooling at Sacred Heart, Sector 26, Chandigarh, and scored 98.2 per cent in Class XII.
'My parents and sister are my inspiration. When I was in Class VI, I decided to pursue medicine…it interests me and I also like research in the field,' said Nandika, who cracked the exam on her first attempt.
She took regular coaching classes and gives credit for her success to tuition teachers Sanjay Ahlawat for physics, Anurag Aggarwal for chemistry and Dr Arvind Goyal for biology.
'They have played a major role in my success. I followed a structured routine for studies, doing regular revision, finishing work on time, managing school work and ensuring there were no backlogs, clearing doubts with my teachers regularly,' Nandika said.
About the NEET exam, Nandika said biology was lengthy, physics was very tough, and chemistry was tricky.
'I didn't waste time on questions I had some doubts about. I completed my exam with focus and set aside the last 20 minutes for the questions I had doubts about,' she said.
Nandika said she studied for 7 to 8 hours a day, and after her classes, she would take a break and watch TV, walk in the park or dance.
Bollywood and Bharatanatyam dances are her favourites.
'I don't like studying for long stretches. Consistency was the key for two years to prepare for the exam. I am very happy with my effort,' Nandika added.
Divya Mehra, who secured the 158th rank in the NEET UG 2025 and the 5th rank in the reserved category, said her study hours varied, from the initial 3-4 hours to 6-7 hours.
After her Class XII boards, she dedicated long hours to revising the syllabus, repeatedly.
'I studied at Sri Chaitanya Techno School, while I attended coaching from Class VII. But it was only after Class X from St Anne's, Chandigarh, when medicine as a career became clear to me,' said Divya, a resident of Sector 46, Chandigarh.
Divya said she owed her success to everybody at the coaching centre and her parents, who taught her to be positive against all odds.
'My sister, who is doing MBBS from GMCH 32, has been my guide. Apart from studies, I love to paint and play basketball,' she said.
Yashika, a 17-year-old from St. Soldier Paradise Sr. Sec. School, Dhakoli, secured AIR 350. Daughter of Brahm Prakash (government employee) and Manju (teacher), Yashika's early exposure to challenges helped her develop critical thinking skills.
An aspiring cardiac surgeon, Yashika enjoys painting, reading and walking.
Her advice: 'Consistency is the key. Even if you don't study for long hours, study sincerely for a couple of hours.'
She credits her success to self-belief and listening to her heart.
Divyanka, 17, from Shri Guru Harkrishan School, Chandigarh, scored 97.2% in Class XII and AIR 530.
The daughter of Dr. Rachhpal Singh and Dr. Neeraj Singh, both doctors, aspires to become a cardiologist.
Her hobbies include reading novels, and she believes that 'consistency is key' and one should 'never stop working hard.'
Sidhant Raina, 18, from Ryan International, Chandigarh, who originally hails from Kashmir, secured AIR 559.
He is the son of Arvind Raina (engineer at Infosys) and Shalley Bakshi (professor).
Sidhant, who enjoys table tennis and football, aims to become a surgeon at AIIMS. He emphasises the importance of strong concepts and unwavering effort: 'Whatever it takes, do it. Keep your concepts strong.'
For Sidhant, consistency is the secret to success.