Pune’s Arohi Deshpande secured All India Rank (AIR) 1 in the girls’ category of the JEE Advanced 2026, scoring 280 out of 360 marks. Her father, Prasad Deshpande, said, “We knew Arohi would do well, but never imagined she would secure the first position among girls across India. The biggest reason behind her success is that she genuinely enjoyed studying. Because she loved learning, academic pressure never became a burden,” he said.

Kota move

To support Arohi’s growing interest in science and maths, the Deshpande family moved from their home on Baner-Pashan Link Road in Pune to Kota, Rajasthan, where they spent four years backing her JEE preparation.