From a Hindi-medium school to IIT: How a house painter’s son overcame financial hurdles to crack JEE Advanced 2026

A mother’s simple assurance — “Whatever you do will be right, just keep studying” — became the guiding force that helped Sagar navigate some of the toughest moments of his JEE preparation.

There were days when the 17-year-old thought about giving up. There were financial constraints at home, a shift from English-medium to Hindi-medium schooling, and the pressures that come with preparing for one of India’s most competitive entrance examinations. Yet whenever self-doubt crept in, his mother’s words gave him the strength to continue.

Today, that perseverance has paid off. Sagar has cracked one of India’s toughest exams – JEE Advanced. The son of a house painter and a mother who is a tailor, Sagar is now preparing for the next stage of admissions through JoSAA counselling, aiming to secure a seat at an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT).

For Sagar, however, the result itself was surprising but “not-unexpected”, he shared it with a confident smile.

Speaking to indianexpress.com, he said, “I planned for it, and I worked my way through this,” he said, recalling the moment he checked his JEE Advanced score earlier this week.

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Sagar, who calls Modinagar, Uttar Pradesh, his hometown, studied in a government school and scored 82 per cent in his UP Board Class 12 examinations this year. His journey through school was not entirely straightforward. He switched mediums during his school years and recalls that language itself was once a challenge.

“I did not understand English before Class 6,” he said. Later, he continued his studies in Hindi medium and gradually became familiar with opportunities such as IITs and engineering entrance examinations.

His first introduction to IITs came during his middle-school years. Around Classes 6 and 7, he began hearing about the engineering institutes that many students across the country aspire to join. Engineering, he says, was always the path he imagined for himself.

Financial limitations influenced several decisions during his school years. At one stage, he moved from English-medium schooling to a Hindi-medium government school. It was there that another opportunity came his way.

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In Class 8, a teacher encouraged him to appear for the National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship (NMMS) examination.

“Our class teacher told us to take the exam,” he recalled.

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Sagar qualified for the scholarship and began receiving around Rs 12,000 annually. The support became an important part of his education in the years that followed. While the fee at his government school was modest, the scholarship helped him continue his studies and support his preparation.

His JEE preparation formally began in Class 11 through coaching classes through PhysicsWallah, supplemented by self-study. During the final stretch, he studied for around eight hours a day. At the same time, he also had to balance board examination preparation.

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For Chemistry, his strategy was straightforward. “I used to revise the notes,” he said. He would often revise Physics and Chemistry notes even during school hours.

Mathematics remained the most challenging subject. Looking back, he believes students preparing for JEE should pay special attention to it.

“I took my time when attempting chapters in Maths so that I could understand it better. One has to work hard for Maths,” he said.

Yet the academic challenge was not the hardest part of the journey. Like many aspirants preparing for highly competitive examinations, there were moments when he thought about quitting.

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“When at times mock tests would not give good results, or the JEE Main session 1 this year, did not yield the expected score, I thought I would quit,” he admitted.

What made him continue? The answer comes back to his mother. “My mother used to say that whatever you do will be right. Just keep studying.”

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That message, repeated through difficult phases, became a source of reassurance whenever mock tests or setbacks affected his confidence. While many students speak about ranks and targets, Sagar’s recollection centres on a simple line from home that encouraged him to continue moving forward.

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Support also came from school. Sagar remembers the role his teacher played during his preparation. “Our teacher used to give me books,” he said. The assistance ensured that a lack of resources did not become a reason to stop preparing.

He had also come to know about the Merchant Navy and almost sat for the exams as a fallback option. But engineering was always the first choice.

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For now, JEE Advanced is done. JoSAA registration has opened. He has not filled it yet. Branch preferences come next, then allotment rounds. One step at a time.

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For a junior just starting out on this road, Sagar’s advice is brief: “Whatever you do will be seen. Just focus on your own and study well.”