Ghaziabad girl, Pal Aggarwal, 17, scored 100 percentile and shared all-India rank (AIR) 1 with 17 others in the JEE main, according to the results declared by the National Testing Agency (NTA) late on Tuesday evening. In all, 18 candidates secured 100 percentile. Pal was delighted over her achievement because normally it’s the boys who usually perform better in this exam.

“It’s indeed a joyful moment for me but more than that it is a source of motivation to do well in JEE Advanced. I feel that the first 20 years of our life are just like an insurance policy, which will give lifelong results if we invest something daily. So, instead of wasting this precious time, we should give our best in everything we do,” she said the passout of Seth Anandram Jaipuria, Ghaziabad.

Pal got 100 percentile in physics, mathematics, and chemistry. But there were no major celebrations at her place. “The celebrations can wait for now as the most important exam, JEE Advanced, is scheduled for October 3. I have covered the syllabus thoroughly but still, there are areas which I need to work on,” she said.

Pal aspires to become an astronaut and wants to graduate in astrophysics. She secured 99.988 percentile in session 1 (February), skipped session 2, obtained 100 percentile in session 3 Pal and skipped session 4 exam.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, NTA conducted JEE Main four times, beginning from February and the best score of the four exams was considered to prepare the final merit for JEE Main this year.

Pal said, “I am grateful to my parents, teachers and all those from whom I have learned something in my life.”

"My advice to future aspirants is that one should study not just for the exams, but for one’s own self. It is then that we start enjoying the subject and excel in it without any stress,” she added.

Pal’s mother, Rakhi Aggarwal, a clinical psychologist, said: “It’s a proud moment for us that our daughter has bagged AIR 1 in JEE Main. I believe that emotional wellbeing is the foremost requirement for academic excellence. Also, children should use the Internet wisely instead of getting lost in this carnival of distractions. Focusing on the goal day and night will definitely fetch you good results.”

Her father, Vishal Aggarwal, is a businessman.

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