"Nothing bigger than this": NEET UG topper Aryan Gupta's parents celebrate AIR 1; to join AIIMS Delhi...

Ludhiana, Punjab: Ludhiana's Aryan Gupta, who secured All India Rank (AIR) 1 in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) (Undergraduate) 2026, said consistent hard work, following his teachers' guidance and unwavering support from his family helped him achieve the top rank. He now hopes to join AIIMS Delhi and pursue a career in oncology.

Speaking to media after the results were announced, Aryan said, "I secured All India Rank 1 in NEET (UG) 2026. I got 715 out of 720 marks. I worked very hard for two years, studied a lot, and took a lot of stress too, so it feels very good. I'm feeling very relieved. It feels like I've got the fruit of the hard work I put in."

Sharing his preparation strategy, he advised aspirants to trust their teachers and remain disciplined. "My elder brother Aditya had already told me to follow the teachers blindly... Whatever homework, DPPs or assignments they gave, I'd finish them at home. Two years passed like this," he said.

Aryan credited his parents and elder brother for constantly motivating him during his preparation. "My family's support was immense. My elder brother has been a role model for me for two years... My father always made sure someone was sitting with me. Every night, Papa would come after work and sit with me. The family has been very supportive," he said.

Expressing his future aspirations, Aryan said, "I will join AIIMS Delhi and hopefully become a great oncologist." Offering advice to future NEET aspirants, he said, "First, follow the teachers blindly; do as they say and don't use your own brain too much. Second, work hard with honesty. If you don't work honestly, you won't get the result you want."

Aryan's father, Dr Sachin Gupta, an anaesthetist based in Ludhiana, said it was a proud moment for the family. "As parents, there is nothing bigger than this. This year, my son has secured All India Rank 1, and my elder son secured All India Rank 54 last year. He is studying at Maulana Azad Medical College in Delhi, and Aryan will be joining AIIMS Delhi. As a father and a parent, there can be no greater happiness than your children turning out to be capable and sincere in their studies," he said.

Dr Gupta said the family's role was to stand by the children throughout their preparation. "We used to give time to the children. After coming home at 8 PM, I used to sit with them until midnight while they were studying. We couldn't teach them that much, but we were always there for them," he said.

He added that growing up in a family of doctors inspired both his sons to pursue medicine. "I am an anaesthetist, my wife is a gynaecologist... Seeing the entire family of doctors, the children chose this line themselves," he said. Aryan's mother, Dr Reenu Gupta, a gynaecologist, credited her son's dedication and the family's support for the achievement. "He has achieved a very big milestone. It's because of his hard work and the support of his father and brother," she told media.

According to the National Testing Agency (NTA), Aryan Gupta topped NEET UG 2026 with an exceptional percentile of 99.9999, while Panshul Bansal from Haryana secured AIR 2 with the same percentile. Uplakshya Goyal of Rajasthan secured AIR 3, Ayush Bhalotia of Bihar claimed AIR 4, and Kudale Shravani Krishna of Maharashtra emerged as the highest-ranked female candidate with AIR 5.

The NTA said 11.21 lakh candidates qualified for admission to undergraduate medical, dental, AYUSH and allied courses. Nearly 20 lakh candidates appeared for the examination, which was conducted on June 21 across 5,440 centres in 551 cities in India and 14 cities abroad in 13 languages.

This year's NEET-UG remained under intense public scrutiny following the paper leak controversy that led to the cancellation of the earlier examination. The re-examination held on June 21 took place amid continuing political debate over the integrity of competitive examinations and concerns over student welfare. The NTA said the results were declared in time to ensure that the counselling and medical college admission schedule remains on track.