3 min readChandigarhUpdated: Apr 21, 2026 12:56 AM IST
Aarush Singhal, a resident of Sector 37-D, Chandigarh, has secured All India Rank 8 in the JEE Main results declared on Monday, scoring 100 percentile.
“There was a time when I got too addicted to my phone. I realised I was going the wrong way and gave it up completely,” Aarush said.
A student of Bhavan Vidyalaya, Sector 27, Chandigarh, Aarush aspires to pursue computer science engineering and aims to get into IIT Bombay. His father, Nakul Singhal, is an engineer, while his mother, Malti Singhal, is a homemaker. He has a younger brother.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Aarush said, “I was completely off social media. But there was a time when I got addicted to the phone, watching YouTube videos. I realised I was going the wrong way and then gave up having a phone entirely.”
He said he studied for 10–12 hours a day, including classes. “For about five to six hours, I would attend classes, and then I would come home and do self-study. If one remains consistent and focused, every goal can be achieved,” he said.
Aarush added that he is interested in artificial intelligence but has not finalised his long-term plans. “Whichever avenues open up for me, I will go ahead. Right now, I want to pursue computer science engineering,” he said.
He said he would study in short bursts and take breaks to recharge. “During breaks, I would either go on walks with friends or spend time with family to de-stress. Breaks help you rejuvenate your energies,” he added.
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Aarush has also excelled in Olympiads, qualifying for INMO, INPHO, INCHO and INAO, and attending OCSC camps. He credited regular practice tests and continuous guidance from teachers for his success. “I focus on understanding concepts and stay consistent. The academic environment here helped me clear my doubts quickly. Now my focus is on JEE Advanced and getting into IIT Bombay,” he said.
He was taking coaching from Sri Chaitanya Institute.
Meanwhile, Arnav Gandhi secured All India Rank 22 in the JEE Main. The son of a doctor couple from Haryana, Arnav completed Classes 11 and 12 from Bhavan Vidyalaya, Sector 15, Panchkula, where he stayed in the hostel. He is the only child.
His mother, Dr Shikha Gandhi, said, “Arnav was very focused from the very first day. He would put in 10–12 hours of study. He wants to get into a good IIT and pursue computer science engineering.”
Despite coming from a family of doctors, Arnav chose engineering due to his strong interest in mathematics. His father, Dr Premdeep Gandhi, is a dentist.
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Arnav also took coaching from Sri Chaitanya Institute. His preparation focused on strong conceptual clarity, regular practice and thorough analysis of mock tests. He has qualified IOQM (Class 10), IOQM and RMO (Class 11), and NSEP, NSEC, IOQM (Class 12).
“I stayed consistent and treated every test seriously. Analysing mistakes helped me improve,” Arnav said.
