When the JEE Advanced results were announced, the dhol and tasha troupe that had been waiting for the announcement began playing a celebratory song as Andheri East resident Ojas Maheshwari emerged as the top ranker in the Persons with Disabilities (PwD) category.
His family was so confident in the boy who had also topped the JEE mains that they travelled to Hyderabad a day earlier, where his coaching centre is based, and a band was kept waiting for the announcement.
However, Maheshwari and his family were not interested in the PwD category ranking. They were looking forward to his overall ranking – All India Rank 26.
“Ojas has never asked for any special facilities and he doesn’t like to be put into a special category. We were confident that his ranking in the PwD category will be in the top rankers but we were keener about his general ranking. My son’s years of hard work has been validated. He has proved his mettle. He has created history today by being first amongst the PwD category to be ranked at 26 in the general category. We are so excited and proud,” said his mother Pooja.
In August, Maheshwari had topped the JEE mains in the PwD category when he spoke to IE about his journey.
About Maheshwari
Maheshwari was between the ages of 6 and 7 when he lost his hearing. He discovered his passion for math and science a year later. Maheshwari began preparing for and competing in Olympiads, math and science exhibitions and competitions at the age of eight, thanks to the assistance of his mother, Pooja, who is an Olympiad teacher herself.
Today, the National Talent Search Examination (NTSE) scholar and Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana (KYPY) top ranker’s collection of medals and trophies is so large that his mother jokes about having to buy a new almirah to accommodate them.
“I know people think I may be a nerd because I love studies, especially Mathematics and Physics and spend a lot of time in it. But those who know me closely, know that I love socialising and going out on dinners with friends and I absolutely love football,” said the teenager.
Maheshwari, whose role models include Sundar Pichai and APJ Abdul Kalam, has pushed himself to do better from a young age. With his heart set on IIT, he has studied for the exams for more than 10 hours a day.
His disability, a 70% hearing loss in both ears, is something he avoids talking about. He did, however, admit that it had created significant challenges, particularly during the pandemic.
