15-hour study routine helps Chandigarh student secure AIR 63 in NEET-UG 2026

2 min readChandigarhUpdated: Jul 17, 2026 06:00 PM IST

NEET UG 2026 AIR 63 Prakul Garg (centre) with his parents. (Photo Credit: Special Arrangement)

A disciplined study routine, a carefully planned subject-wise strategy, and an unwavering dream of securing a top national rank helped Prakul Garg of Chandigarh crack NEET-UG 2026 with an impressive All India Rank (AIR) 63.

Prakul Garg is a resident of Baltana in Punjab’s Mohali district. He did his schooling from Sri Chaitanya Techno School in Chandigarh Sector-44.

The teenager said he set 10 hours of self-study as his minimum benchmark, often extending it to 15-16 hours during his preparation. Instead of studying every subject equally throughout, he focused largely on Physics and Chemistry before dedicating the last three months almost entirely to Biology.

“I prepared with one goal in mind – that I wanted an AIR under 10. Success in this exam isn’t about hard work alone; it’s about smart work – the right amount of hard work applied in the right direction,” Prakul Garg said.

The Class XII student, who scored 94 per cent, also secured 98.6 percentile in JEE and ranked among the top one per cent nationally in National Standard Examination in Biology (NSEB). He credited his parents and teachers for keeping him motivated through constant guidance and regular assessments.

“Securing AIR 63 is a dream come true. This journey demanded consistency, patience, and self-belief. I am deeply thankful to my parents and every teacher who mentored me throughout my preparation,” he said.

Sharing advice for future aspirants, Prakul Garg said students should not let exam results become a source of anxiety.

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“A NEET aspirant shouldn’t be anxious about the result. Focus on the effort you can control, and let the result take care of itself,” he said.

Prakul Garg’s father, Arun Garg, is a businessman, while his mother, Neetu Gupta, is a government school teacher at GSSS Lohgarh. He said his father’s unwavering belief in his abilities and the constant support of his teachers kept him motivated through the demanding preparation.

An avid chess player who also enjoys listening to music, Prakul Garg said he drew inspiration from Om Vats, a NEET 2024 achiever, and remained focused on his ambition of becoming one of the country’s top-ranked candidates.

Hina Rohtaki is a Special Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in Chandigarh. She is one of the most prominent journalists covering the Chandigarh Administration, civic issues, and the unique political status of the Union Territory.

Professional Background

Experience: She has been in the field for over a decade and is known for her investigative reporting on administrative waste and urban governance.

Awards: She is a recipient of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award, which was presented to her by the President of India in January 2020. She was also awarded the Jethmalani prize (The Will of Steel Awards) in 2025 in the Empowerment category for a series of articles that highlighted the struggles of Covid widows.

Core Beat: Her primary focus is the Chandigarh administrative structure, the Union Territory's financial management, and urban development projects.

Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)

Her recent work highlights a focus on government accountability, administrative expenditures, and civic trends:

1. Investigative & Financial Reporting

"Fuelling power: Senior UT IAS officers guzzled petrol worth Rs 30 lakh in 2 yrs" (Dec 14, 2025): An investigative report detailing the high fuel bills of top bureaucrats, including the Finance Secretary and Chief Secretary’s staff.

"Admn spends Rs 1.5 crore on dismantling road railings and fixing again after increasing height" (Dec 8, 2025): Highlighting administrative waste on "non-viable" solutions for pedestrian control.

"Chandigarh’s finances under ministry’s watch now" (Nov 27, 2025): Reporting on the new requirement for MHA approval for all new projects in the UT.

2. Governance & Constitutional Status

"What will it mean for Chandigarh if it is brought under Article 240?" (Nov 24, 2025): An "Explained" piece on the potential constitutional shift that would grant the President more power over the UT's governance.

"MP Manish Tewari moves Bill seeking directly elected Mayor with 5-year tenure" (Dec 6, 2025): Covering the legislative push to reform Chandigarh's municipal leadership structure.

"No proposal to increase Mayor's term in Chandigarh by 5 years: Centre" (Dec 10, 2025): Reporting on the Union government's response to demands for a longer mayoral term.

3. Urban Infrastructure & Environment

"Chandigarh admn cuts power to India's tallest air purifier, asks firm to dismantle it" (Nov 17, 2025): A critical report on the failure of a high-cost environmental project deemed "of no use" by experts.

"UT rethinks 24/7 water supply project as costs soar" (Nov 26, 2025): Detailing the financial challenges and delays in modernizing the city's water network.

"Centre 'obfuscating, covering up' MC's shifting deadlines for clearing Dadu Majra dump" (Dec 12, 2025): Reporting on the ongoing controversy surrounding the city's major waste dump.

4. Lifestyle & Local Trends

"Chandigarh turns into a Thar city as women fuel the surge" (Dec 2, 2025): A feature on a unique automotive trend in the city, with a record 600 registrations by women drivers this year.

"After fivefold spike in 2023, EV sales struggle to pick pace in Chandigarh" (Dec 2, 2025): Analyzing the slowdown in electric vehicle adoption despite previous surges.

Signature Beat

Hina is known for her meticulous tracking of RTI (Right to Information) data to expose administrative inefficiency. Her "Ground Zero" reporting on the Dadu Majra garbage dump and her scrutiny of the Chandigarh Smart City projects have made her a key figure in the city’s civil society discourse.

X (Twitter):  @HinaRohtaki ... Read More

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