Kolkata: Three students from Bengal have secured top ranks in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) 2025, with two featuring among the national top 20 and another making it to the top 100. According to the results announced by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on Saturday, Rachit Sinha Chaudhuri of Hariyana Vidyamandir emerged as the state topper, securing an All India Rank (AIR) of 16. He was followed closely by Rupayan Pal of Burdwan CMS High School, who secured AIR 20. Anik Ghosh from Murshidabad also made the state proud by securing AIR 67.
Rachit said he maintained a study schedule of 8–10 hours a day and would also read books and watch shows in his spare time. “When my grandmother fell ill, my parents encouraged me to become a doctor and I’ve always enjoyed studying biology,” he said. “Now, I aim to pursue my medical education outside the state, ideally at AIIMS Delhi,” he added. The principal of Hariyana Vidyamandir, Sanghamitra Banerjee, expressed pride in his achievement. Rupayan, who topped this year’s Higher Secondary (HS) examination and ranked fifth in Madhyamik 2023, also aspires to join AIIMS Delhi. The son of two English teachers, Rupayan has been a consistent academic performer. “We didn’t expect such a high rank, though he has always excelled academically,” said his father, Rabindranath Pal. Rupayan is interested in cardiology or neurology.
Anik Ghosh, a student of St Xavier’s School, Durgapur, hails from a humble background in rural Murshidabad. A first-generation learner, Anik’s father, a farmer, had to sell part of their land to fund his HS education. Despite facing health issues and losing two months of preparation time, Anik focused intensely from February onwards, studying 3–4 hours a day. “You don’t need 10–12 hours of study to succeed,” he said. Nurturing a dream of becoming a doctor after learning from his father that his grandfather, whom he never saw alive, had died due to lack of treatment, Anik now hopes to study at AIIMS Delhi and become a neurosurgeon in the future.