There was no option but to win: Sarvesh

Ishrat S Banwait

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 11

Having secured all-India rank 1 in the JEE (advanced), results of which were declared today, Sarvesh Mehtani of Panchkula wants to take up computer science engineering at the IIT Bombay. Ask him the secret of his success and Sarvesh says: “I was very much driven, there was no option but to win.” Sarvesh has secured 339 marks in the exam.

He had secured 95.4% marks in the Class XII CBSE exams.  Son of income tax officer Parvesh Mehtani, Sarvesh’s mother Raj Bala is a placement officer at the ITI Panchkula. Sarvesh says he did not have any fixed study hours but that is all he did in between school and his coaching.

A logical thinker who does not like to memorise, chemistry is Sarvesh’s weakness. However, he worked hard on it and performed well in the subject. Organised hard work and the will to succeed is what the country topper stresses for aspirants.

Sarvesh had never dreamt of being the national topper but did exactly that. He says: “I had worked hard and knew that I will clear the exam with good marks but had never dreamt of topping the country”. 

He says in Class VIII, he had decided that he wanted to take up engineering and by Class X, he had started working towards cracking the IIT exam. The CBSE syllabus is the base and must not be ignored for preparation, he adds. Sarvesh had to give up his love for badminton in Class X as he wanted to devote all his time for preparation of JEE. He has cleared the national Olympiad in maths, physics and chemistry and usually studies till 1 am. 

He says organised working is very important and haphazard studies can lead to poor results.

An introvert, Sarvesh says he has not planned for very far and will decide upon his profession once he gets into his dream college, IIT Bombay. Ask him whether he plans to study abroad in an Ivy league college like previous national toppers and he says no. The reason behind it, he adds, is that he does not know much about colleges in the West; a true patriot.

Bhavan Vidyalaya  students shine

Three out of top four in the tricity are from Bhavan Vidyalaya (Panchkula) and studied in the same class. Sarvesh, Ashish and Manan had the same coaching as well. They said they would study together at times as well. The school honoured all three today and celebrated their success on its premises.