Jaipur, June 15 -- "I wanted to pursue Arts subjects in school final years and dreamt of pursuing UPSC. But my life took a turn now after I took biology as my sister advised," said Mahesh Kumar (18), a native of Rajasthan's Hanumangarh who topped in the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) this year.

Mahesh, who had been studying in a reputed coaching centre in Sikar, secured 99.99% in the exam on Saturday. "It was my first attempt. I started preparing for the exam in 2022 but could not appear for it as I was under-age. Though I expected a good result, I could not believe that I would top in the country," Mahesh said.

Mahesh used to study 6 to 7 hours in a day. "I used to study 6 to 7 hours daily. I also reduced it to 4 to 5 hours ...