New Delhi [India], July 17 : Ludhiana student Aryan Gupta has emerged as the top scorer in NEET UG 2026, securing All India Rank (AIR) 1 with an exceptional percentile of 99.9999. Panshul Bansal from Haryana secured All India Rank (AIR) 2 with the same percentile.
Uplakshya Goyal from Rajasthan secured AIR 3 with a percentile of 99.99985, while Ayush Bhalotia of Bihar claimed AIR 4. Kudale Shravani Krishna from Maharashtra emerged as the highest-ranked female candidate, securing AIR 5, followed by Riya Ranjan of Bihar at AIR 6.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Thursday announced the results of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate) 2026, with 11.21 lakh candidates qualifying for admission to undergraduate medical, dental, AYUSH and allied courses.
Among the top 138 rank holders, Maharashtra recorded the highest representation with 22 candidates, followed by Rajasthan (18) and Punjab (11). Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh had nine candidates each, while Gujarat and Delhi contributed eight candidates each.
Several other top rankers shared their preparation strategies and credited consistency, discipline and family support for their performance.
Ayush Bhalotia, who secured AIR 4, said he scored 710 marks and followed a disciplined study routine during his preparation in Kota.
"I scored 710 marks and secured All India Rank 4...I spent about five to seven hours on self-study and attended six hours of classes every day," he told ANI.
Kritik Jain, who secured AIR 18, said he focused on giving his best rather than aiming for a particular rank.
"I tried to give my best, though I did not think much about achieving a specific rank at the time. My only aim was to give it my all...My parents were incredibly supportive. Whenever I got good results, they were very happy, which motivated me further. When my results were not as good, they would tell me not to get upset. They reminded me that there was still room for improvement and that I could do better, especially since there was still plenty of time before the NEET exam," he told ANI.
Gunjan, who secured AIR 52, credited consistent study and guidance from her teachers for her performance.
"I studied diligently and followed my teachers' advice. I studied for about six to seven hours daily. Including classes, my total study time would go up to around ten hours. My family supported me a lot," she told ANI.
The NTA said the results were announced in time to ensure that the counselling and medical college admission schedule remains on track.
The NTA had released the final answer key for NEET (UG) 2026 ahead of announcing the results.
In a statement, the NTA said, "11.21 lakh candidates qualify; Results declared in time for counselling and Medical College Admissions; Toppers from almost all States and Union Territories; More than 58 per cent of qualified candidates are women; Examination conducted in 13 languages."
According to the agency, nearly 20 lakh candidates appeared for the examination, which was conducted on June 21 at 5,440 centres across 551 cities in India and 14 cities abroad. The examination was held in 13 languages.