Maharashtra’s NEET topper began journey in a government school

Shravani, who completed her primary education in a zilla parishad school and later studied in a semi-English medium school, scored 710 / 720 marks in the NEET examination, whose results were announced on Thursday

MUMBAI: Maharashtra’s NEET 2026 topper, Shravani Kudale from Pune district, has shown that studying in a government school was not a disadvantage. Shravani, who completed her primary education in a zilla parishad school and later studied in a semi-English medium school, scored 710 / 720 marks in the NEET examination, whose results were announced on Thursday. She ranked fifth all-India and is also the toper in the OBC category.

Maharashtra’s NEET topper began journey in a government school

Shravani is from Khadki village in Daund taluka of Pune district. Her achievement has brought pride not only to her family but also to her teachers and her village. On Friday, local residents and others kept streaming into her home to congratulate her.

After completing Classes 1 to 5 at a zilla parishad primary school in Gopalwadi, Shravani enrolled at the Shardabai Pawar Vidyaniketan in Malegaon, where she continued her education in a semi-English medium school.

Shravani told Hindustan Times that studying in a government school was not a disadvantage. “I never faced a problem understanding English even though I completed my primary education in a zilla parishad school and my secondary education in a semi-English medium school,” she said.

Her talent and preparation at a coaching institute for the all-India exam, which determines admission to undergraduate medical courses, put her ahead of her peers. Shravani also says she stayed away from mobile phones and social media for almost a year, to remain focused on her studies.

She said she had taken the NEET test May this year. When the re-test was announced, she took it as an opportunity to improve her performance. “In my May attempt, I expected around 715 marks but was not sure about my rank. I considered the re-examination a fresh opportunity and prepared with complete dedication,” she said.

Shravani comes from a family of teachers. Her parents, Jayashree and Krishna Kudale, teachers in a zilla parishad School. Her older sister is also pursuing a medical education.

Apart from her, 18 students from Maharashtra secured a place in the top 138 students in the list. Mohnish Maruti Bhosale from Atigare village in Kolhapur district ranked second in the state and 10th nationally, while Sarthak Mahesh Patil from Kolhapur took the third spot in the state and 14th rank nationally.

According to data provided by the National Testing Agency (NTA), 2,22,849 students from Maharashtra registered for the exam this year. Of these, 2,01,100 students took the exam, while 1,07,304 qualified. In contrast, 2,48,201 students from the state had registered in 2024; 2,42,858 took the exam and 1,25,727 qualified. This year saw a decline of 25,352 in registrations, 41,758 in the number of students taking the exam, and a significant 18,423 in the number of students who qualified.

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