The Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) for the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) is known globally as one of the toughest exams. Its rigorous procedures aim to select the brightest students for India's premier institutes. Despite criticisms, it continues to attract a vast number of ambitious students each year.
In 2009, when the JEE results were announced, four of the top ten rankers had more in common than just cracking the competitive exam. All of them were also gold medalists at the International Physics Olympiad that year. Recently, Debarghya (Deedy) Das, an Indian-origin tech influencer, shared updates on their current whereabouts in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
Nearly fifteen years later, here's what these remarkable individuals are doing:
Nitin Jain: He was the top ranker in the JEE 2009. After completing his degree from IIT Delhi, Nitin interned at Meta (formerly Facebook) and had a brief stint with Twitter in the US. He now works as a software engineer at Google. After gaining significant experience abroad, he moved back to India to continue his career with Google.
Shubham Tulsiani: The second rank-holder in the JEE 2009, Shubham is now an assistant professor at the Robotics Institute of Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). Before joining CMU, he worked as a research scientist at Facebook AI Research, contributing to advancements in artificial intelligence.
Sivakanth Gopi: Sivakanth, who secured the third rank, graduated from IIT Bombay and earned a PhD from Princeton University. He has been with Microsoft for over three years, currently serving as a principal researcher. His journey reflects a strong academic and professional trajectory in one of the world's leading tech firms.
Priyank Parikh: Priyank, who ranked sixth, also graduated from IIT Bombay. He began his career as a software engineer at Google. Today, he is associated with Waymo, the self-driving car unit of Google-parent Alphabet, showcasing his involvement in cutting-edge technology and innovation.
These individuals exemplify the success and diverse career paths that can follow a top performance in the JEE and the International Physics Olympiad. Their stories not only highlight their personal achievements but also reflect the opportunities that come with a strong educational foundation and a relentless pursuit of excellence.
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