Maharashtra’s NEET 2026 topper, Shravani Kudale from Pune district, who scored 710 out of 720 marks in the examination, said she stayed away from mobile phones and social media for nearly a year to remain focused on her studies.
Kudale secured an all-India rank (AIR) of fifth, emerging as the topper in Maharashtra as well as in the OBC category. She completed her primary education at the Zilla Parishad Primary School in Gopalwadi before moving to Shardabai Pawar Vidyaniketan in Malegaon to continue her studies.
Shravani told HT that studying in a Zilla Parishad school did not put her at a disadvantage.
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“I never faced any problem in understanding English, even though I completed my primary education in a Zilla Parishad school and my secondary education in a semi-English medium school. I worked hard for the examination and prepared at the Success Code Coaching Institute in Baramati,” she said.
Shravani had appeared for NEET earlier and treated the re-examination as a fresh opportunity to improve her performance. “In my previous attempt in May, I expected around 715 marks but was not sure about the rank. This year, I considered the re-examination as a fresh opportunity and prepared with full dedication,” she added.
Shravani’s parents, Jayashree and Krishna, are both Zilla Parishad school teachers, while her elder sister is already pursuing a medical degree. The 18-year-old credited her success to the guidance and support she received from her family.
Hailing from Khadki village in Daund taluka of Pune district, Shravani’s feat has brought immense pride to her local community and government school teachers, with residents and local leaders flocking to her home to congratulate the family.
Nationalist Congress Party (SC) working president and Baramati MP Supriya Sule also congratulated her. In a post on X, Sule also noted that her father Krishna Kudale had previously received the District Council Pune’s Ideal Teacher Award.
Viraj Yele at the Success Code Coaching Institute said the uncertainty over the examination had confused many students. ”We started giving students more difficult questions and conducted daily tests. We counselled them regularly and kept them focused on their goal,” he said.
