Thrissur boy emerges state topper in JEE

Kochi: Vaishnav ENK, a native of Thrissur, emerged as the state topper in the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE Mains) with 99.98 percentile score as National Testing Agency (NTA) announced the results of the country's largest engineering entrance test on Monday. While 12 candidates scored 100 percentile in the exams nationally, there was no one from Kerala.Vaishnav, a Class XI student of Devamatha CMI Public School, Thrissur, is the eldest son of Kritheesh E K and Sandhya. The family was earlier settled in Muscat and moved to Thrissur three years ago. Now, they are residing in Nattika in Triprayar. Vaishnav's younger brother Karthick is studying in Class X. Vaishnav was expecting a percentile score above 99.5, and he credits his incredible feat to his "prolonged ambition and relentless dogged perseverance"."I believe everyone has more or less the same intelligence. But you need to be ambitious to attain a high goal and also work hard consistently for the same. This was my success mantra," he told TOI.And unlike most of the NTA toppers, Vaishnav wants to pursue AeroSpace engineering in top institutes like IIT Bombay or IIT Madras. While the Class XII board exams are coming, he has already started preparing for the JEE (advanced) exam, which is scheduled for May 17, 2026. He will also appear for KEAM (Kerala entrance).Vaishnav also credits his entrance coaching at the Brilliant Institute, Thrissur, for his success. "I have found peer groups, those having the same mentality, as having a positive impact. Another factor, I think, is the practice using previous years' question papers," he added.Now, he concentrates more on the theory part as he is busy preparing for the " more tougher" board exams. "That's what my seniors told me, the board exams will be tougher than the JEE (main)," he said.His parents too credit his success to his hard work. "Vaishnav had a clear goal and wanted to pursue AeroSpace engineering from a top IIT institute. He started preparing hard from Class XI by joining the Brilliant coaching centre and staying at the hostel there," his mother Sandhya said.