NEET UG 2026 Toppers: Jabalpur's Aryaman Solanki, who secured All India Rank (AIR) 46 in the NEET UG 2026 examination, has said that the decision to conduct the re-examination ultimately worked in his favour. He has been declared the Madhya Pradesh state topper after the National Testing Agency (NTA) announced the results on July 17, Aryaman said the additional preparation time helped him improve both his marks and rank. While the cancellation of the earlier examination initially left him disappointed, he accepted the decision and focused on revision and practice. He now hopes to pursue medical studies at AIIMS Delhi while keeping his future specialisation options open.
NEET UG 2026 AIR 46: Aryaman Solanki Says Re-Exam Improved His Performance
Speaking to ANI, Aryaman admitted that the announcement of the re-NEET came as a shock because his first attempt had gone well. However, he later viewed the decision positively.
"When re-NEET was announced, it was a very depressing and sad atmosphere because the May 3 NEET had gone quite well. But then I thought that NEET is for all 22 lakh children, and maybe the true rank or potential had not come out. Re-NEET was the right decision, and because of that, my marks and rank improved significantly," he said.
He further added, "When I gave the first exam, after coming out of the exam, I had quite good marks. But as other children's marks were coming out, my rank wouldn't have been as high as it is this time... So because of this, re-NEET proved to be quite beneficial for me."
Aryaman said he avoided starting new topics during the extra preparation period. Instead, he focused on solving Physics and Chemistry questions, revised Biology only through NCERT, and attempted full-length mock tests daily.
Parents Credit Hard Work, AIIMS Delhi Remains Dream
Aryaman said he is currently inclined towards urology, although he wants to explore different medical specialisations before making a final decision.
"As it seems now, I would like to pursue urology, but it might change during my studies too. I have not kept my choices rigid." He also clarified that his father, a urologist, never pressured him to choose the same field.
Aryaman's parents, Dr Phanindra Solanki and Dr Anupama Solanki, described his success as the result of consistent hard work and discipline. His mother said he had been focused since childhood, while his father called admission to AIIMS Delhi a dream fulfilled for the family.
The NTA declared the NEET UG 2026 results on July 17. This year's examination was conducted on June 21 after the earlier test was cancelled following the paper leak controversy. According to the agency, 11.21 lakh candidates qualified for undergraduate medical admissions out of nearly 20 lakh candidates who appeared for the examination.
