Once Called '11th Fail', Pani Puri Seller's Son Makes It to IIT Roorkee
Harsh's father sells pani puri on the roadside. His family of six lives in a small two-room chawl in Thane district. Money was always tight, and the idea of cracking the IIT exam seemed impossible—especially since Harsh didn't even know about IITs until after his Class 10 exams during the COVID-19 lockdown.
By the time he joined Motion Education in Kota, a well-known coaching institute, he was already far behind. The Class 11 syllabus was nearly finished, and Harsh struggled to keep up. He ended up failing Class 11, a big setback that led to harsh comments from relatives and doubt within his own family.
But Motion Education didn't give up on him. They gave him not just academic help but also personal support. 'They helped me rebuild not just my academics, but my confidence,' Harsh said.
Things got even harder when Harsh was diagnosed with Rectal Prolapse, a painful medical condition. It meant frequent hospital visits and long periods of rest. Studying became almost impossible. But even during these tough times, RRD Sir, Head of the JEE Division at Motion, stood by him, offering guidance and motivation.
To make things worse, Harsh also lost close family members just before important exams. But he stayed focused. He took a drop year, joined Motion again, and prepared for the exams one more time. His hard work paid off. He scored 98.9 percentile in JEE Main and cracked JEE Advanced, earning his seat at IIT Roorkee.
'There were moments when I was physically and emotionally exhausted. But Motion never gave up on me. They believed in me even when I lost belief in myself,' said Harsh.
Harsh's story is a shining example of what is possible with dedication, the right support, and never giving up—no matter where you come from.
Motion Education, led by NV Sir (Nitin Vijay), has helped thousands of students like Harsh. In JEE Advanced 2025, over 3,231 of their 6,332 students qualified, a success rate of 51.02%, which is more than double the national average of 23.68%.
But for Harsh, success isn't just about numbers. It's about proving that dreams don't care where you come from—they only care how hard you're willing to work for them.
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