Aryan Gupta secured AIR 1 in NEET UG 2026 (Img: X)
New Delhi: Aryan Gupta secured AIR 1 in NEET UG 2026 with 715 out of 720 marks. He shared the highest score in the country with Haryana's Panshul Bansal, while the National Testing Agency (NTA) awarded him the top rank under its official tie-breaking criteria.
Aryan Gupta secured AIR 1 in NEET UG 2026 with 715 marks after sharing the top score nationally. He said his ambition to become an oncologist grew from losing his grandmother to cancer.
Ludhiana, Punjab: Aryan Gupta from Ludhiana has secured All India Rank 1 in UG NEET 2026. He scored 715 out of 720 marks in the examination#UGNEET2026 pic.twitter.com/5XhI3WO9n1
— Dynamite News (@DynamiteNews_) July 17, 2026
Aryan's achievement places him among the country's brightest medical aspirants and marks the beginning of a journey he hopes will lead to a career in cancer treatment.
For Aryan, becoming a doctor is more than a career choice. He says his determination to specialise in oncology was inspired by the loss of his grandmother, who died of stage-four cancer when he was in Class 3.
Punjab: NEET UG 2026 topper Aryan Gupta says, "I secured All India Rank 1 in NEET UG 2026. I come from a family of doctors- my parents, grandparents, maternal uncle and aunt, and even my bua and fufa are all doctors. Since childhood, I wanted to become a doctor. As for my… pic.twitter.com/hZPfF2XQCi
— Dynamite News (@DynamiteNews_) July 17, 2026
Despite belonging to a family of doctors, he recalls that they were unable to save her. That experience motivated him to dedicate his future to treating cancer patients and contributing to better healthcare.
Aryan attributes his success to consistent preparation and disciplined study habits. He said he devoted nearly 16 to 17 hours a day to his studies during the final phase of preparation, often sacrificing sleep to stay focused on his goal.
Medicine has always been part of his upbringing. His father, Dr Sachin Gupta, is an anesthesiologist, his mother, Dr Reena Gupta, is a gynaecologist, and his elder brother is currently pursuing MBBS after securing AIR 54 in the previous year's NEET examination.
Calling the result only the first milestone, Aryan said the real challenge begins in medical college. He advised future NEET aspirants to remain disciplined, trust their teachers and stay consistent throughout their preparation.
According to the NTA, more than 11.21 lakh candidates qualified NEET UG 2026. Nineteen candidates scored above 700 marks, with Aryan's 715 placing him at the top of the national merit list.
