Moradabad: What can be a bigger achievement than making one’s parents proud and glow in happiness. Moradabad’s Kanishka Mittal did just that by becoming the All India topper in the girls’ category of the JEE Advanced 2020.
Her mantra of success — repeated revisions and in-depth study. Kanishka is also thankful for “the extra time” post the pandemic, which she feels helped her move up the ranks and secure the 17th position.
The 17-year-old scored a total of 315 marks out of 396. However, this did not come effortlessly. She devoted 12 hours of her time daily towards the preparation, focusing on Mathematics and Physics, and consulting her teachers at the Allen Career Institute in Kota where she was a student.
“We were 8-10 girls in a class of 110 students and the atmosphere was highly competitive. There were very few distractions and the only way I destressed was through chats with my two friends who were from my hometown,” Kanishka told Education Times.
However, she did not sacrifice on her sleep and made sure she got a good 7-8 hours of sleep, as it is necessary for a healthy mind.
Kota, according to her, is “a safe city for girls” with an enabling environment that makes it easier for students to crack JEE Advanced. “Students’ potential may vary, but they are all driven by hard work with no compromises.”
Kanishka’s father Anuj Kumar Mittal owns a photostat shop and mother Suchita is a homemaker. They supported her all through, starting from the time she decided to pursue her dream to reach the IITs and moved to Kota for her studies.
Her brother, a fourth-year BTech student of Electronics at the Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh, was the key inspiration and had full faith in her potential.
Following the lockdown, when she left Kota in May to return home by bus, Kanishka’s enthusiasm did not flag. “I found the same conducive atmosphere at home to give my 100% to the exam,” she said.