HYDERABAD: Mohit Shekher Shukla from Telangana secured All India Rank (AIR) 4 in JEE Advanced 2026, the results of which were declared by IIT Roorkee on Monday. Mohit was also the highest-ranked candidate from the IIT Madras zone, which covers Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry.
Meanwhile, Hyderabad resident Kuchi Sandeep secured AIR 5. Students from the two Telugu states continued to feature prominently in the national rankings. Medisetti Naga Saharsha from Andhra Pradesh secured AIR 9, while Veldurthi Harshith from Tirupati achieved AIR 15 and Aarav Gupta secured AIR 17.
Notably, 35 candidates from the IIT Madras zone featured among the top 100 ranks. Most of the top-ranked candidates expressed a desire to pursue studies at IIT Bombay.
Speaking to TNIE, Mohit said he was confident of securing a high rank after the examination.
“After the test, I expected to score around 300 marks and get a good rank. I am delighted with the result,” he said.
Mohit plans to pursue Computer Science and Engineering at IIT Bombay, following in the footsteps of his elder brother, who is already studying there.
“IIT Bombay is known for its academic excellence, campus placements and opportunities in technology. I would like to study Computer Science there. After engineering, I may take up a job, though I am also interested in research and development,” he said.
Mohit’s father, Manish Shekher Shukla, a scientist with ISRO, attributed his son’s success to discipline and consistency.
“He devoted around nine to ten hours daily to preparation and maintained equal focus on Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. He never considered anything a major challenge and remained confident throughout,” he said.
Mohit credits parents
“My father has always guided and motivated me. My mother, who is also a scientist, sacrificed her career to focus on raising me and supporting my studies. Their encouragement played a huge role in my success,” he said.
Kuchi Sandeep, who secured AIR 5, is a gold medallist at the International Chemistry Olympiad and has qualified for several prestigious Olympiad competitions. He credited his success to disciplined study, regular practice and weekly tests.
“I started preparation in Class 9. I now aim to pursue Computer Science at IIT Bombay,” Sandeep said.
While he has not finalised his long-term career plans, he said his future direction would become clearer as he progressed in the subject.
Veldurthi Harshith, who secured AIR 15, said perseverance was key to his success.
“There were difficult phases during preparation, but I stayed focused on my goal. Solving mock tests and analysing mistakes helped me improve steadily,” he said.
Medisetti Naga Saharsha, who studied at a corporate junior college in Hyderabad and secured AIR 9, attributed his success to disciplined study habits.
“JEE Advanced requires conceptual clarity and consistent effort. I focused on understanding fundamentals rather than rote learning. I am happy that my hard work has paid off,” Saharsha said.