JEE Main 2024 April Session Topper Interview: Gajare Nilkrishna Nirmalkumar Secured AIR 1

Gajare Nilkrishna Nirmalkumar emerges as the JEE Main 2024 topper having secured All India Rank 1. He has secured a 100 percentile score and a perfect score of 300 out of 300 in the JEE Mains 2024. He had been preparing for the JEE Main exam for the last two years. His daily schedule included self-study of at least ten to twelve hours a day. Nilkrishna's motto is to keep questioning until the doubt is cleared. The National Testing Agency released the JEE Main topper list at jeemain.nta.ac.in along with the JEE Main session 2 results.

Nilkrishna is now focused on the upcoming JEE Advanced exam. He is looking forward to pursuing B.Tech in computer science at IIT Bombay. Nilkrishna talks about practising several JEE Main mock tests and sample papers. He would then focus on the weaker topics and improve his understanding thereon. Talking about subject-wise preparation, Nilkrishna says he took the Physics class notes as his reference. He would also study physical chemistry in the same manner. For inorganic chemistry, he would review notes and for organic chemistry, his strategy involved reviewing notes and solving problems. Nilkrishna also emphasises maximum practice for mathematics.

Q1: Congratulations on your performance in the JEE Main 2024 exam! What was your reaction upon knowing your score?

Nilkrishna: It was very nice, I can never forget this moment. Today, not only me and my family are celebrating this news but my entire village and all the people around me are celebrating this.

Q2: Tell us something about yourself. Which board have you studied under? Which school have you studied in?

Nilkrishna: I'm from a small village in Washim district, Maharashtra. My father is a farmer, my mother is a housewife my education till 10th standard was done in JC High School, Karanja(lad).

Q3: Why do you want to study engineering? When did you decide to study engineering? Which branch would you be interested in?

Nilkrishna: I developed an interest in the engineering field when I was in class 10 simply because of the subjects. I’m looking to pursue a B.tech in computer science at IIT Bombay.

Q4: When did you start your JEE Main preparation? Tell us something about your preparation strategy and daily routine for JEE Main.

Nilkrishna: I started my JEE Main preparation journey in class 11. During this time, my daily routine was to wake up early in the morning, exercise for about 45-60 min and then spend my remaining time studying.

Q5: Did you face any difficulties since the examination was conducted completely in computer-based mode?

Nilkrishna: No, I did not face any issue with the examination mode. I practised several JEE Main mocks to get used to it.

Q6: Did you take coaching for JEE Main and if yes from where? What are the benefits of coaching according to you?

Nilkrishna: Yes, I took coaching from ALLEN Career Institute. I believe opting for coaching is necessary since it provides proper guidance and a systematic way to study for the exam.

Q7: Mock tests and sample papers – how extensively did you practise with the help of these? Do you think practising from the previous year’s papers helps and how?

Nilkrishna: Oh yes. Throughout my preparation I have practised multiple JEE Main sample papers and given many mocks. I think they do help a lot. After all, they do say practice makes a man perfect.

Q8: Are there any special books that you feel have helped with your JEE Main preparation? Are the school textbooks adequate for preparing for JEE Main and Class XII?

Nilkrishna: So I just followed the study materials provided by my institute. I did prepare the inorganic chemistry topics from my school textbooks but nothing special.

Q9: Did you face any problems during the JEE Main exam for session 2? Which subject was the easiest and which was the toughest in JEE Main? What do you think is a tough thing to manage during the JEE Main exam?

Nilkrishna: No I did not face any problems during the JEE exam. For me every subject was easy. The maths section was just a bit lengthy but not hard.

Q10: What do you think are the key factors behind your stupendous success in JEE Main?

Nilkrishna: In my belief, the continuous hard work of 2 years and following my schedule with consistency contribute to my success in the JEE Main exam.

Q11: Since you scored 100 percentile in the JEE Main January session, why did you appear for the April session of JEE Main 2024 too?

Nilkrishna: I just appeared for practice and getting used to the exam environment since I want to appear in JEE Advanced as well which will be held in similar conditions.

Q12: How did you de-stress yourself during the preparation? What are your hobbies? How often could you pursue them?

Nilkrishna: As I mentioned I gave my health the highest priority. Just focusing on my health made sure I was not stressed. Along with my studies, I also play archery. I have played even state and national tournaments. This game teaches me concentration to achieve the goal.

Q13: Who is your ideal or biggest inspiration in life and why?

Nilkrishna: My biggest inspiration in life is my parents who have provided me with immense mental support, my teachers who have been my educational support and lastly my very close friend, Shreekant Gawande, the person who has changed me entirely.

Q14: You know you are an inspiration to thousands of students across the country. Do you have any message for future aspirants on tackling the JEE Main exam?

Nilkrishna: My message to all the students who are preparing for the JEE Main exam would be to focus on consistency and hard work for success in this examination. Students should aspire to know more and more and keep questioning until the solution to the question is understood. Don't be shy to ask.