Mumbai panipuri seller's son who failed in Class 11, is now an IITian
The report added that Harsh Gupta is the son of a small pani puri stall owner in Kalyan, which is one of the founding cities of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
Gupta enrolled at a coaching institute in in Rajasthan's Kota and secured a seat at IIT Roorkee in Uttarakhand. Now he aims to enter the civil services.
The report added that Harsh Gupta scored 98.59 per cent in JEE-Mains and qualified for JEE-Advanced. This is engineering entrance exams for admission to colleges including IITs. But he missed to secure admission to the college of his choice.
Following this, he tried again and earned a seat on his second attempt.
'Don't let failure define you. Never give up. After failing the Class 11 exams, I decided to go to Kota. My family supported me in my decision... I always dreamt of clearing IIT and securing a seat in either IIT Mumbai or Roorkee,' the report quoted him as saying.
Stating that his father always encouraged him to keep studying, Harsh said, "He said, 'couldn't study, but you should pursue your dreams'. My message for other aspirants is that don't let failure define you. I never gave up, even though I failed in Class 12. I am the first IITian in my family, and my school."
Harsh said his classmates teased him and doubted his potential after he failed Class 11.
However, Harsh ignored all these taunts and focused on his studies. "But, I didn't pay much heed. I worked hard,' he said.
Expressing pride, Harsh's father Santosh said, 'I may be a pani puri vendor, but I'll go to any extent to support my children's dreams. I am very happy. He has always been good at studies, but we had financial constraints."
Santosh also arranged funds by withdrawing from his savings. 'I also want my two other sons, Shubham and Shivam, to pursue higher education,' he said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
4 hours ago
- Indian Express
‘Never underestimate small moments': An IIT Bombay student's perspective
— Sparsh Somani My motivation to attempt the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) came from watching my father and uncle, who are both incredibly passionate about their work. I wanted to have a goal to strive for, too, and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) became that dream. Two teachers, Gaurav Sir and Prabhat Sir, played a pivotal role. I met them while I was in school. They were the ones who convinced me to opt for the science stream after seeing my potential. I come from Kishangarh, Rajasthan, a peaceful town I dearly miss — especially the spontaneous night road trips with friends. It's been three years since I left home, and the comfort of my family, my home-cooked meals, and familiar surroundings is something I often crave. I studied at Mayoor School, Ajmer, and was always a pretty average student, not extraordinary across all subjects. I only put real effort into the subjects I liked: math, science, civics, and a bit of history. Even so, I managed a 91 per cent in Class 10, which I appeared in 2022, and 90.6 per cent in Class 12 in 2024. My father is a businessman, and my mother is a homemaker. Growing up, I had all the comforts one could ask for – but seeing how hard my parents worked to build what we have made me want to prove myself, too. I was free to explore interests like singing, piano, and football, and they never said no to anything I wanted to do. I think that freedom gave me the confidence to dream big. I appeared for the JEE Main and JEE Advanced in 2024 alongside my board exams. I appeared for the JEE Main in the January attempt. My exam was on February 1, and JEE Advanced was on May 26. It was my first attempt. I secured an AIR 3147/99.81 percentile in JEE Main and 2874 in JEE Advanced. I took coaching at ALLEN, Kota. Life there wasn't easy. Most of my school friends had taken the Commerce stream in Class 11 and seemed to be enjoying life, while I was stuck in a grind that felt never-ending. The FOMO (fear of missing out) hit hard. This was my first time living completely alone, and the start was tough. During my time at Kota, I dropped from 63 kg to 51 kg, and the mess food there wasn't any better! Thankfully, a group of 10 students from my hometown helped me settle. Plus, I'd never been away from home, so the homesickness was real. I even cried quite a lot in the initial six months. In Class 12, I didn't go home for eight months straight, even though my home was just five hours away. However, all the sacrifices made sense after the JEE Advanced result came, and I happened to take admission in IIT Bombay. I am now in my second year doing BTech in Civil Engineering at IIT Bombay. I chose Civil Engineering because I was not interested in coding, and did not want to study just for a job in any random IIT. I talked to seniors and family members and realised that only a small percentage of students pursue work directly related to their branch – many shift to consulting, tech, or finance. So I chose college over a branch. Also, my father's business aligns somewhat with Civil, so it made sense. Other branches I considered were Computer Science Engineering (CSE) at ISM Dhanbad, Chemical at IIT Delhi and Bombay, and Mechanical at IIT Madras. 2024 was not my first time staying away from home. Adjusting here was much easier than what I had to go through in Kota. So I was used to the mess meals, and the food at IIT was much better. Also here there are various all-day canteens, so it is good. And all my wing mates were very friendly and nice to me. Hence, I had no problem adjusting. We did all types of daily chores together. I got involved early on – I was Maintenance Secretary of my first-year hostel, joined Solar Powered Airship Research Team (SPART), and now work with Student Alumni Relations Cell (SARC). This year, I am also part of the Mood Indigo and Techfest organising teams. Balancing studies and clubs is tough. To keep a decent 8+ CPI while handling fest work, sometimes you sleep just 3 to 4 hours a night. But all of it has made me more confident, open, and social. I now enjoy talking to new people, learning from them – even if they know just a little more than me. A regular day starts with rushing to labs, a quick breakfast, lectures till afternoon, and post-lunch classes till 5. Evenings are for cricket, football, or chilling with friends. At night, it's club work, gaming (Among Us, poker) or chatting till 3–4 am, with the occasional trip to canteens or Amul. I love singing. I went to music classes from Class 1 to 5, and now enjoy jamming with friends or recording casually. We hang out on rooftops like Energy Building, or squeeze 12 people in one hostel room and talk for hours. Some professors are great mentors – especially during project-based courses like the bridge and tank building competitions in Civil – but others struggle with communication. Still, they are approachable and passionate about teaching. My father supports my expenses, but I stay conscious and try not to overspend. I am still figuring that out. I'm open to working a job initially to gain experience. But long-term, I want to start something of my own – maybe in tech, maybe in a completely different field. I even worked on a startup idea with a friend in the first year, though we dropped it after two months. But I know I'll try again. If I had to pick one lesson from IIT Bombay, it's this: be open to people and experiences. Talk to everyone. Learn from everything. And never underestimate small moments – they might become the memories you will treasure most. Mridusmita Deka covers education and has worked with the Careers360 previously. She is an alumnus of Gauhati University and Dibrugarh University. ... Read More
Hindustan Times
8 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Motivational quotes to keep your vision alive
By Sakshi Sah Published Aug 10, 2025 Hindustan Times Trending Photo Credits: Pexels Unlock Now Read Next
Indian Express
15 hours ago
- Indian Express
Unsung Heroes: From a barefoot Karnataka village boy to an educationist and social worker, how Dr Eregowda is transforming lives with knowledge
Gangasamudra, a small village in Nagamangala Taluk, Mandya district, Karnataka, may seem an unlikely starting point for a transformative figure in education and social work. Yet, it is here that Dr Eregowda GB, born to uneducated parents Bhadragowda and Nengamma, began a journey that would not only defy his circumstances but also reshape the educational landscape for thousands of students. At a young age, Eregowda found a guiding light in Adichunchanagiri Mutt, where he spent 15 years under the mentorship of Sri Sri Balagangadharanatha Mahaswamiji. Life at the mutt was austere –two meals a day – but it instilled discipline and purpose. 'The guidance of Swamiji kept us motivated,' he said. Eregowda's academic journey took a decisive turn when he chose to pursue chemistry, a subject in which he initially struggled. A challenge from his chemistry lecturer sparked a transformation. 'He told me to prove myself in chemistry if I respected him,' Eregowda recounted. This ignited a fire within him, spurring him to top chemistry in his class during BSc, get a distinction in Master's, and a PhD funded by the central government. 'My connection with chemistry grew so profound that, even today, I cannot sleep without reading the subject for hours. That incident changed my perspective, and I developed a deep connection with chemistry,' he said. In 1997, Eregowda cracked a test conducted by the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) and was selected as a chemistry lecturer in a government pre-university college. Over the next 28 years, he served in various colleges, including as acting principal, with a mission to increase the number of students from Karnataka passing national-level entrance exams like NEET and JEE. His tenure began in Battalahalli, Chintamani Taluk, where he turned around a college with zero admissions by personally enrolling 80 science students. 'We built the college from scratch, with no chairs or boards initially,' he recalled. His longest stint was at Yelahanka Government Pre-University College, where he served for 18 years, maintaining an annual enrolment of 3,000 students. His efforts ensured students secured free MBBS seats without needing additional tuition, proving the potential of government institutions. 'Poor families have bright students who can't afford private colleges,' he noted. Spurred by a colleague's remark that lecturers in Bengaluru merely taught from others' books, he embarked on a mission to write his own. 'That comment hurt me, and I decided to write a book,' he said. Despite initial financial losses, his family's support, particularly from his wife, kept him going. 'My wife would stay up late with me, taking care of our child while I wrote,' he shared. Today, his chemistry books are used by over a lakh students and lecturers annually across Karnataka. In a bold move, Eregowda took voluntary retirement from government service to establish the Jeevith Education Trust, named after his son, to share his knowledge more widely. His institution achieved a remarkable 50 per cent success rate in its first batch, with 16 out of 32 students securing free medical seats. Eregowda's contributions to research are equally talked about. His work on cancer drugs, conducted under Professor K N Thimmaiah, led to the discovery of 21 new organic compounds and seven international publications. 'The drugs we developed worked better than existing ones, but they had too many side effects,' he said. Despite setbacks, including a costly experiment that failed, his passion for research persisted. Appointed as a scientific officer at Adichunchanagiri Cancer Research Center, he continued to contribute to medical advancements while balancing his teaching career. Eregowda's institution emphasizes discipline and application-based learning through NCERT books. He counsels parents against pressuring students into fields like medicine for prestige, advocating for alignment with students' capabilities. 'We assess students' capacity first,' he said, citing an example of guiding a student toward an IAS career via a medical degree. In 2016, he received the State-Level Best Lecturer Award, followed by the Aryabhata International Award, Sangama Ratna Award, Siddaganga Shri Award, Dr Abdul Kalam Lifetime Achievement Award, and the VK and BM Education Excellence Award, presented by Union Minister Pralhad Joshi. Looking ahead, Eregowda plans to write a book on the current education scenario, drawing on extensive research and student input. 'Research isn't limited to labs; I do it through teaching,' he said, emphasizing his ongoing commitment to education. His institution, now three years old, continues to grow under his wife's and son's leadership, serving as a beacon for students from underprivileged backgrounds.
