Gaya: For Gaya, Monday was a day of pride, celebration and inspiration. The town erupted in joy as Shubham Kumar emerged as the all-India topper in JEE (Advanced) 2026, one of the country’s most toughest examinations.What makes the achievement even more remarkable is that Shubham accomplished the feat in his very first attempt. He had cleared his Class XII examination only a few days ago, securing nearly 97% marks.“Shubham has brought glory to Gaya,” said Bhim Raj Prasad, managing director of British English School, his alma mater. Before joining the school, Shubham had passed his Class X examination from Nazareth Academy, Gaya, in 2024.The son of a modest hardware shopowner on Ramna Road, Shubham’s success story has become a source of inspiration for thousands of students. In recognition of good academic record, the management of British English School gave him a cash award of Rs2 lakh.According to Prasad, Shubham’s talent had been spotted early by a nationally reputed coaching institute in Kota, which adopted him, provided free coaching and also awarded him a stipend. “His hard work and dedication have now paid off in the most spectacular manner,” he said.The school’s academic director, Anurag Raj, was equally lavish in his praise for the young achiever, describing him as a student whose determination and focus set him apart from his peers.Back home, celebrations unfolded in grand way. Shubham’s modest residence in the densely populated Nadiraganj locality, located a short distance north-west of the world-famous Vishnupad Temple, wore a festive look. Visitors streamed in throughout the day, congratulating the family and sharing sweets.Interestingly, Shubham himself was not in Gaya. Anticipating his success, the Kota coaching institute had invited his family to the Rajasthan city even before the results were announced. His parents, elder sister Shreya and other family members travelled there to participate in the celebrations and promotional events organised by the institute.Shreya herself is an IITian and is currently pursuing computer science at IIT-Patna. Back in Gaya, only Shubham’s grandfather, Ram Chandra Prasad, remained at home to receive visitors and distribute sweets.Neighbours described Shubham as a quiet, highly focused youngster who largely kept to himself. “He was a boy next door with almost no social distractions,” said a local resident.Atul, a stationery shopowner in the locality, recalled that Shubham always displayed the qualities of an achiever. “We knew he was exceptionally bright, but nobody imagined he would scale such heights and become the national topper,” he said.One of his former teachers remarked that while Shubham possessed immense potential from the beginning, his exposure to Kota helped sharpen his skills further. “Had he remained in Gaya, he would still have figured among the top 20. Kota refined his abilities and gave him the competitive edge required at the national level,” the teacher observed.JEE results have long been a matter of local pride and discussion in Gaya. For more than two decades, students from Patwatoli—widely regarded as the town’s engineering hub—have earned national recognition through outstanding performances in engineering entrance examinations.According to Prem Narain Patwa, 10 students from Patwatoli have qualified in JEE (Advanced) this year. Yet, despite the area’s rich tradition of academic excellence, this year belonged entirely to Shubham.His achievement has drawn even greater admiration because he comes from a modest business family with no notable history of academic distinction.Chandrakant Patheshwari, education missionary and founder of VRIKSH—an organisation dedicated to promoting the competitive skills of aspirants seeking admission to premier engineering and medical institutions—said the entire district should celebrate the achievement.Veteran lawyer Aziz Ahmad Muneri, now in his eighties, described the occasion as one of the rare moments of collective celebration in the town’s academic history.“It has been a long time since Gaya witnessed such a moment of pride,” he recalled. “The last comparable occasion was in 1958, when Syed Shahabuddin of Karimganj locality secured the second position nationally in the UPSC examination. By becoming the all-India topper in JEE (Advanced), Shubham has surpassed even that benchmark and added a glorious new chapter to Gaya’s educational legacy.”
