From rank 50,000 to number one in Agri & Pharmacy stream

Hyderabad: Mukkaram Ahmed, who was turned away by colleges a year ago due to a low rank, has scripted a dramatic turnaround by securing rank 1 in the Agriculture and Pharmacy stream of EAPCET 2026.“This is my second attempt. Last year, I got a rank above 50,000. We went to colleges, but they said it would be very difficult to get admission. That stayed with me. I prepared dedicatedly for EAPCET for a year,” Mukkaram told TOI.The comments became his motivation. “It felt like a challenge. I told myself I had to prove myself, not just get into the top 10, but aim for rank 1,” he added.A student of the Telangana Minorities Residential Educational Institutions Society (TMREIS), Mukkaram studied within the same system from class 5 through Intermediate. “Whatever I am today is because of my teachers. They were very experienced and guided me at every step,” he said, attributing his success largely to them.Hailing from Mehdipatnam, Mukkaram comes from a modest background. His father works as a fibre technician, while his mother passed away around 2012-13. “My father always encouraged me and kept track of my progress. That support mattered a lot,” he said.He credits his seniors with inspiring him to take EAPCET seriously. “Seeing them helped me understand what I could achieve,” he said.Mukkaram said his preparation was consistent and focused. “I didn’t face major struggles with studies because the system and teachers were strong. I just followed what was taught and stayed disciplined.”Interested in pursuing veterinary medical sciences, Mukkaram hopes to secure admission to PV Narasimha Rao Telangana Veterinary University.