Started medical entrance prep in class 9, Pune girl secures AIR 5 in NEET 2026
Pune: Shravani Kudale, a student from Baramati taluka in Maharashtra's Pune district, has secured All India Rank 5 in the NEET 2026 re-examination, scoring 710 out of 720 marks.
The achievement comes after years of focused preparation, with Shravani saying she had been working towards the medical entrance examination since Class 9.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) declared the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination results on July 16 after the original May 3 examination was cancelled due to the paper leak controversy. While many aspirants were left disheartened by the cancellation, Shravani treated the re-examination as an opportunity to improve her performance. "The first NEET paper was also a good attempt for me. I took the re-NEET as a second opportunity to score even better," she said
The NEET-UG was qualified by a total of 11.21 lakh candidates this year. The crucial exam held on May 9 was cancelled by the NTA on May 12 amid paper leak allegations. The exam was re-conducted on June 21.
Kudale, who emerged as one of the top performers in the country, is basking in the success of her hard work and determination which helped her realize the dream of pursuing a career in medicine.
Also Read:NEET 2025 results: 2 Gujarat Students Secure Spots in Top 10, 9 in Top 100
“I am very happy. It feels like a dream come true. I had been aiming to appear for NEET since my school days. When I was in Class 9, I started preparing for the exam, and by the time I appeared for NEET, my foundation had become strong,” she told PTI
Kudale, a resident of largely rural Baramati taluka in the western Maharashtra district, insisted consistent efforts and guidance from teachers helped her achieve the feat.
Her father, a teacher by profession, maintained the family was expecting a good result, but never imagined she would secure such a high rank at the national level.
“We were confident that she would perform well, but we never anticipated that she would achieve this remarkable feat. Her hard work, dedication and the guidance provided by her teachers have paid off. As parents, we are extremely proud of our daughter,” he said.
Kudale’s mother affirmed securing a top rank across the country was not an easy task, but her daughter’s determination and commitment helped her accomplish the goal.
“It is not easy to stand among top rankers in the country, but because of her hard work and dedication, Shravani could achieve this success. We are very proud of her,” she said, with a sense of pride in her eyes.
Kudale asserted she was clear about pursuing a career in medicine and kept working in that direction with dedication.
Asked whether the NEET paper leak affected her, she said, “The first NEET paper which got cancelled was also a good attempt for me. I took re-NEET as a second opportunity to score even better. Compared to the earlier one, the second NEET paper was tough.”
Also Read:NEET 2026 re-exam results OUT: 11.21 lakh qualify, 138 candidates score above 690
