New Delhi, June 3 -- Four students from preparatory centres at Rajasthan's coaching hub of Kota have secured the first, second, sixth, and seventh positions in this year's Joint Entrance Examination - Advanced (JEE-Advanced) for admissions to premier engineering colleges. Rajit Gupta, 18, who secured the first rank, said his father, Deepak Gupta, a sub-divisional engineer in Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited, inspired him. "My father has been an inspiration," said Rajit Gupta, whose mother, Shruti Agrawal, teaches home science at a Kota college. He added that his father prepared for the Rajasthan Pre-Engineering Test (RPET) at the same Kota institute where he studied. "He ranked 48th in RPET in 1994," said Rajit Gupta, who ranked 16th in the JEE (Mains) for admissions to undergraduate engineering, architecture, and planning courses. Rajit Gupta credited his focus on ensuring he did not repeat his mistakes for his success. "...because only when the mistakes are removed, the foundation of your subject becomes strong," he said. He called happiness the key. "I remain happy in every situation. Even now, if I get a chance, I play with the children in my neighbourhood. I am confident about my preparation. I never followed a strict schedule for studies because it creates unnecessary pressure. I used to study only when I felt like it, but for whatever time I studied, I studied well." Rajit Gupta, who got 332 out of 350 marks, looked forward to studying at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi. Saksham Jindal, 18, who is from Haryana and secured the second rank, said he dreamt of being a cricketer before the Covid-19 lockdown. "I played at the under-14 level in Haryana's Hisar district. But my practice stopped during Covid-19. I had no clue what to do. I found my new interest in puzzle games and mathematics-based activities. I also started appearing for Olympiads. Gradually, I decided to take JEE," said Jindal....