This JEE Advanced topper wants to launch his own start-up

Amaiya, who secured AIR 143 in JEE Advanced 2021, is bullish on securing a spot in his favourite college – IIT Delhi.  Earlier, Amaiya made his family proud by getting AIR 1 in IIT-JEE Mains. He was one of the 18 students to have achieved this distinction this year. Instead of celebrating this feat he kept his head down and cleared the final hurdle. In a candid chat, Amaiya spilled the beans on his success mantras, the battle with Covid, future plans, and much more. Edited excerpts

What was your first reaction when the results came out?

The results came out on October 15, but the unofficial answer key was realised much before that. I used that answer key to calculate the probable scores obtained in the exam. So, I was pretty confident that I would get a good rank. Though, there was a discrepancy in one of the answers suggested in the provisional answer key for the JEE Advanced. I was really disappointed as I would have lost 8 marks because of it, but thankfully this irregularity was rectified in the official (final) answer key. Talking about the results, I am pretty excited as I am sure I will be able to pursue a five-year dual degree program (B. Tech + M. Tech) in Computer Science and Engineering at IIT Delhi, which is one of my favourite colleges.

Who inspired you to pursue engineering?

My father and grandfather studied Electrical Engineering from IIT BHU, whereas my elder brother is an engineer from IIT Guwahati. He is working in the US for a start-up. He has a huge impact on my psyche. He is 7 years older than me and I have observed from close quarters the hard work put in by him to crack the IIT code. This strengthened my resolve to clear JEE Advanced.

While preparing for IIT JEE, is it good to have a second option?

I believe that even before the IIT JEE (Main) a candidate has a clear idea as to whether or not he/she will land a berth in one of the good colleges. Before the exams, you have given enough mock tests to assess your true potential. For instance, I was confident of getting into one of the IITs, as my performance in three attempts of JEE (Main) was good. Hence, the question of having a second option didn’t arise in my case.  Importantly, if you are doing well in your school life, there’s no reason you won’t get the desired result. I thank my school from the bottom of heart for helping shape me as an individual and supporting me through thick and thin.

What advice would you give to an IIT aspirant?

There’s no substitute for hard work. Take constant feedback from your teachers and study consistently. Due to the pandemic, I utilise my traveling time to the fullest and on an average studied for around 12 hours a day. Also, take plenty of mock tests and learn from your mistakes. Lastly, have the belief and confidence in you that you can take on any challenge head on. For instance, during April this year my family and I got infected with Covid and my father had to be admitted in the hospital for 3 weeks. I too had to battle high fever, but I tried my best to keep my focus on my studies. 

Tell us about your future plans?

I haven’t thought a lot about my future. My goal was to get into IIT Delhi and now I want to pursue B. Tech with full dedication and in the fifth year I will have a better idea as to which field to pick. However, if everything goes well, I would like to start my own start-up. I don’t want to get stuck in a normal job.