Meet Mahesh Peshwani: Rajasthan Boy Who Topped NEET 2025 In First Attempt, Now Dreams Of AIIMS Delhi

Jaipur: Mahesh Peshwani from Hanumangarh in Rajasthan has secured the top rank in National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate) or NEET UG 2025 – one of India’s most competitive medical entrance exams. Achieving 686 out of 720 marks in his very first attempt, he has not only cleared the exam but also emerged as the national topper.

His journey to the top was not a planned one. “When I entered Class 11, I doubted whether I could crack a national-level exam because I was from a Hindi-medium background. I never thought I would rank one,” he said.

Initially unsure about attempting NEET, it was his elder sister Himanshi who encouraged him to give it a try. With her guidance and his teachers’ support, Mahesh began his preparation and eventually topped the exam. His dream now is to join Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Science and become a neurosurgeon.

A Different Approach to Preparation

Mahesh says he did not follow a rigid timetable. “I used to study for about six-seven hours daily, but not according to a fixed schedule. Sometimes, I would complete my studies in the daytime and sometimes at night,” he said.

English, he admitted, was a challenge. So he developed his own method – combining Hindi and English to ensure he understood concepts clearly.

His father, Ramesh Peshwani, a government school teacher, shared their reaction when the answer key was released. “We thought he would be in the top ten, but we never imagined he would become the all India topper,” he said.

He added that Mahesh always studied by choice and never had to be told to do so. In his Class 10 board exams, he had scored 97 percent.

A Dream Three Years in the Making

Mahesh is the first in his family to pursue medical studies. To chase his dream, he moved to Sikar and spent three years in a hostel preparing for the exam. His family regularly visited him from Hanumangarh, and they stayed in constant touch via phone.

Mahesh’s mother, Hemlata, too is a teacher in another government school in Hanumangarh. “We had told Mahesh to study without stress. We said if at any point he felt like he could not continue, he should stop,” Ramesh recalled.

Mahesh said that it was this support that gave him the confidence to continue his preparation calmly and without pressure.

Wanted to Choose Arts, Until Sister Intervened

Until Class 10, Mahesh studied in Nohar, Hanumangarh. Initially, he had planned to take humanities in Class 11 and prepare for the UPSC exam. “It was my sister Himanshi who suggested I try NEET. She introduced me to the subject of biology and told me about the exam.”

“She was the one who convinced me to move to Sikar and begin preparing, and now the result is here,” he said.

Currently pursuing an M.Sc., Himanshi herself once dreamed of preparing for NEET but could not. “I was pursing B.Ed. at that time. But seeing Mahesh’s dedication, I knew he had what it takes,” she said.

Mahesh credits his parents for allowing him the freedom to choose his own path. “They never forced me to pick any particular subject. I had complete freedom to decide,” he said.

The NEET UG 2025 exam, conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), was held on May 4 at 5,468 centres across 552 cities in India and 14 international locations. Over 22 lakh students appeared for the exam.