‘Used social media daily for entertainment, studied for more than 10 hours,’ JEE Main topper Narendra Mahith

Andhra Pradesh’s Narendra Babu Gari Mahith has emerged as one of the toppers, securing the NTA 100 percentile in his first attempt at the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main. A student of the Andhra Pradesh state board, Mahit balanced regular schooling with rigorous exam preparation with ease. “I began my JEE journey in Class 11 and focused on building a strong foundation for both the Main and Advanced papers. I maintained a consistent schedule of 14 hours of study daily, leaving time for relaxation and social interaction,” the 17-year-old said. Meet the toppers | Arnav Gautam | Nimay Purohit | Rahul Konar | Swathi Subramanya Unlike other students, he did not deactivate his social media account, but he said that apps like Instagram served as a source of entertainment rather than a distraction. Coming from an academic background, Mahith credits his father, a mathematics lecturer, and his mother, a homemaker, for their unwavering support. Mathematics was his strongest subject, while inorganic chemistry posed challenges due to its emphasis on memorisation. To overcome this, he relied on underlining key points in notes and creating a separate book for important formulas. Mahith, a student of Narayana Junior College, said his preparation was marked by patience and peace, which he also considers his success mantra. “I practised mock tests with strict time management, aiming to complete papers in 2 hours and 45 minutes, leaving the final 10 minutes for revisiting tough questions. This approach of mine was systematic, which helped me analyse mistakes, clarify doubts with teachers, and revisit weaker topics like inorganic chemistry and deep physics concepts,” he said. Despite his top rank, Mahit plans to appear for Session 2 of JEE, aiming for a consistent rank and scores. His dream destination is IIT Bombay, where he hopes to pursue Computer Science Engineering. When asked why not IIT Madras, which has consistently topped the NIRF rankings, Mahith confidently replied, “Because IIT Bombay has more brand value than Madras.” Unlike the stereotype of isolated toppers, Mahith continues to attend social events and enjoys skateboarding. While ambitious, he doesn’t feel the fear of missing out (FOMO) that many teenagers experience. “In our class times, we will talk. Parties mean if anyone has a birthday, we will go,” he said with a smile. Sheen Kachroo is the Senior Sub-Editor working with the Indian Express Digital. ... Read More