Meet Aryan Gupta, NEET UG 2026 topper who wants to become an oncologist: How he overcame setbacks

For Aryan Gupta, securing the top rank in NEET UG 2026 is not just an academic achievement — it is the first step towards fulfilling a deeply personal mission.

The 17-year-old from Ludhiana secured All India Rank (AIR) 1 after scoring 715 marks out of 720, sharing the highest score nationally with Haryana’s Panshul Bansal.

Aryan’s ambition to become an oncologist was shaped by a personal loss — the death of his grandmother from stage 4 cancer.

“Everyone in my family is a doctor, but we could not save her. That is when I decided that I wanted to become a cancer specialist and work towards treating the disease,” Aryan was quoted as saying to PTI.

Medicine has always been close to Aryan’s life. His father, Dr Sachin Gupta, is an anaesthesiologist, while his mother, Dr Reena Gupta, is a gynaecologist. His elder brother is also pursuing MBBS after securing AIR 54 in NEET UG 2025.

Growing up surrounded by doctors inspired Aryan’s career choice, but his grandmother’s battle with cancer gave his dream a greater purpose.

“Becoming a doctor was always around me, but my grandmother’s illness made me want to specialise in cancer treatment,” he said.

Aryan’s journey was tested when NEET UG 2026 was cancelled after the first exam on May 3 following allegations of a paper leak.

The re-examination on June 21 initially came as a shock.

“I cried because it was very disheartening. But within two days, I accepted that it wasn’t happening only to me — it was happening to everyone,” Aryan said.

The second attempt changed his result. He improved his performance, reducing his mistakes from five in the first exam to just one in the re-exam.

What felt like a setback became the opportunity that helped him achieve the top rank.

According to Times Now Digital, Aryan said his success was the result of years of consistent preparation rather than last-minute efforts. He revealed that he studied for 16 to 17 hours a day during his NEET preparation but also focused on maintaining his physical and mental well-being.

“I made sure I got six hours of sleep at night and one hour of nap during the day. This helped me stay mentally fit,” Aryan told Times Now Digital.

A former table tennis player, Aryan also took regular breaks and spent time watching shows and anime, including his favourite Haikyuu!!, to recharge before returning to his studies.

Aryan credits his teachers, parents and elder brother for guiding him through the journey.

His advice to future medical aspirants is simple: stay consistent, trust your teachers and follow a disciplined approach.

“Teachers have been preparing students for decades, while we have only been studying for a year or two. Following their strategy helped me succeed,” he said.

Although Aryan has achieved the highest rank in one of India’s toughest entrance exams, he sees it only as the beginning.

“This is just a stepping stone. I still have to begin medical college and then work towards my real goal of treating cancer,” he said.

The National Testing Agency (NTA) announced the NEET UG 2026 results on July 16.

Aryan Gupta’s journey from personal loss to national success has turned his NEET achievement into a story of resilience, purpose and determination.

With inputs from ANI, IANS