In India’s competitive exam system, a top rank in the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) is often treated as a final destination rather than a starting point. It usually sets in motion a well-defined path, an IIT degree followed by a corporate career. But what happens when someone who reaches that peak decides to step away from it?
Kalpit Veerwal, who secured All India Rank 1 in 2017 with a perfect score, has chosen a route that does not follow this familiar pattern. His journey reflects a wider shift among young professionals who are exploring options beyond conventional career tracks.
“9 year ago today (2nd April 2017), I gave my JEE. I got AIR 1 and became the only person ever to score a perfect 360/360 score,” Veerwal wrote on Instagram.
As reported by India Today, Veerwal, from Udaipur, Rajasthan, became the first student to achieve a perfect 360/360 in JEE Main. The result brought him national attention and earned him a place in the Limca Book of Records.
Veerwal recounted the day he got his result and posted, “This day looked normal back then but it changed my life. I went from yet another high schooler to national news overnight.”
For many students, such recognition would naturally lead to a traditional path through IIT and into the corporate sector. However, Veerwal chose to explore other opportunities.
He further explained why he decided not to follow the usual corporate route, despite pursuing his higher education at IIT. He wrote, “The traditional corporate IIT route never appealed to me, and the popularity I enjoyed due to my rank helped me pursue so many different careers. Over the years, I’ve been an educator, built businesses, influenced students, spoken across the country, invested, travelled, and very recently, started releasing my own music as a singer-songwriter.”
Instead of following a fixed script, he treated his achievement as a platform to try different things. He continued, “I’ve been focusing a lot more on investing and music lately, and you’ll hear more of my music this year. Thanks to everyone who has supported me in my journey. In more ways than one, it is our story – not just mine.”
Many users expressed admiration for his choices and recalled his earlier achievement. A person commented, “Fantastic journey that is.”
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A post shared by Kalpit Veerwal (@kalpit.veerwal)
Several others referred to the impact his 2017 result had at the time. One recalled, “Win for real… you are an inspiration to many. My father used to talk a lot about your success. Keep growing, brother.”
Some responses also reflected how perceptions evolve over time. One joking said, “Bro i remember making memes on you 5 years ago when I was an aspirant haha…nice to see youre still around.”
Others focused on just how rare his achievement was. One more added, “Dude a perfect 360 is almost an impossible score. Kudos to you for doing what a majority of us dream about.”
Not all reactions, however, were in complete agreement with his choices. A few users suggested that he should use his academic background in more conventional ways.One user suggested, “You should start a tech firm, brother. Create employment, contribute to the country which provided you the chance to study in a premium college like IITB.”
Veerwal responded, “Nah, I like media and finance more. I don’t think I ‘should’ make yet another tech firm.”