99.5 percentile in JEE Main, AIR 2 in NEET 2026: Meet Pranshul, the new academic star

Faridabad student Panshul Bansal secured AIR 2 in NEET UG 2026 after scoring 715 out of 720. His result came after a 99.5 percentile in JEE Main 2026, highlighting his disciplined preparation and love for Biology.What can a science student aspire to achieve? For Faridabad's Panshul Bansal, the answer seems to be almost everything. After securing an impressive 99.5 percentile in JEE Main 2026, Panshul has now emerged as the All India Rank (AIR) 2 holder in NEET UG 2026, scoring 715 out of 720.While his marks placed him among the joint highest scorers, the NEET tie-breaker rule positioned him at AIR 2. His prodigious journey, which began with a dream of becoming a doctor in Class 8, now stands as an inspiration for lakhs of medical aspirants across the country."My parents never pressured me about my career. After Class 10, I had several options, but I chose Biology because it genuinely interested me. Having a clear goal from a young age helped me build the right mindset and strengthened my concepts," Panshul Bansal told India Today.THE MAKING OF ALL INDIA RANK 2Panshul, a resident of Faridabad, Haryana, had set his sights on medicine as early as the eighth grade. Guided consistently by his parents, he chose the Science stream with a clear objective, to become a successful surgeon. Rather than chasing short-term milestones, he focused on building strong conceptual foundations in Physics, Chemistry, and Biology from an early stage.Despite not being the school topper in either Class 10 or Class 12, Panshul's competitive examination performances tell a different story. His 99.5 percentile in JEE Main 2026 followed by a score of 715/720 in NEET UG 2026 reflects years of disciplined preparation and consistency. Sharing his preparation strategy, Panshul said maintaining a routine of nearly eight hours of focused study every day played a significant role in his success.He believes self-belief is one of the biggest factors behind cracking a highly competitive examination like NEET. Along with following a strict timetable, he regularly solved previous years' question papers, which helped strengthen concepts and build confidence ahead of the examination.Panshul began his formal coaching at Allen Career Institute's Lajpat Nagar centre in Class 11.According to him, coaching not only strengthened his academic preparation but also taught him how to manage examination pressure and remain calm in the examination hall. Whenever he faced doubts, his teachers ensured timely guidance and conceptual clarity."I never believed in studying for extremely long hours. I focused on quality learning. While many students spend most of their time on theory, I concentrated more on solving questions and strengthening my concepts through practice," Panshul Bansal told us.His family also played an instrumental role throughout his preparation.Panshul's father, Sanjeev Kumar Bansal, is a steel entrepreneur who regularly helped him with Physics, while his mother, Monica Bansal, a Company Secretary at The Indian Express, guided him in other subjects and remained closely involved in his academic journey.He credits both his parents for motivating him, helping him stay focused, and supporting every stage of his preparation.PASSIONS BEYOND ACADEMICSAway from books, Panshul maintained an active lifestyle by pursuing several hobbies and extracurricular interests.He enjoys reading finance-related novels, an interest inspired by his mother's professional background.He is equally passionate about music and has earned international piano certifications, clearing Grade 4 from Rock School and Grade 2 from Trinity College London.Sports also remained an important part of his routine. Panshul actively participates in badminton, skating, swimming, chess and piano alongside academics. His diverse interests helped him maintain balance during the demanding years of NEET preparation.Known for his exceptional memory and problem-solving skills, Panshul is also an accomplished Rubik's Cube enthusiast and can solve the puzzle while blindfolded.His typing speed touches nearly 100 words per minute, and his interest in geography is equally remarkable, he can reportedly identify and mark over 190 countries on a blank world map in less than five minutes.Although his daily screen time ranged between seven and eight hours, Panshul said he remained selective about the content he consumed, focusing largely on educational videos relevant to his goals.During leisure hours, he also enjoyed watching web series and YouTube content.With an outstanding performance in both engineering and medical entrance examinations, Panshul Bansal's journey underlines that sustained discipline, conceptual clarity and unwavering self-belief can outweigh conventional academic labels.As he now looks forward to pursuing his dream of becoming a surgeon, his story is expected to motivate countless students preparing for competitive examinations in the years ahead.- EndsPublished By: Rishab ChauhanPublished On: Jul 18, 2026 15:05 IST