The JEE (Joint Entrance Examination) Advanced, is among the most difficult engineering exams in India. As a Persons with Disability (PwD) preparing for this exam is even more difficult.
But with little defeats, several PwD candidates have obtained good rankings even, proving to everyone that will-power and grit can cross any boundaries.
The JEE Advanced is the second part in the JEE exam series for student admission in IIT and engineering colleges in India.
The JEE exam elements test skills in the subjects of: Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics, to gauge the understanding and application.
Obtain good marks in the JEE Advance exam as it leads to admissions in universities offering world class education and research facilities.
Specifically for PwD category candidates there is guaranteed to cover reservation and accommodations against basic needs.
Abhinav was born with a disability, which meant he did not have full movement of his shoulder so when he secured the 99th rank among persons with disabilities (PwD) in JEE Advanced 2024, it was a serious achievement.
Abhinav's father, Sanjay Nautiyal, has a hardware business. Abhinav was able to chase his dream of study through hard work.
To continue studying, Abhinav created makeshift book stands and study aids from everyday objects he found at home. These small innovations helped him cope with his limited shoulder movement and stay consistent in his preparation.
His story is about perseverance to turn physical adversity into the belief that adversity cannot affect your dream.
Source: Times of India
For a long time, IIT was a name unknown to Yogeshwari Selvam. Growing up in Sivakasi, with her father running a tea stall and her mother working in a fireworks factory, her world revolved around survival more than dreams.
That changed in Class XII, when a school session first introduced her to the idea of JEE Advanced. From that day, Yogeshwari carried a new dream—one of building aircraft and reaching the skies.
Despite financial constraints, she relied only on her self-study and a short, 40-day crash course after board exams. Until then, she had studied entirely in Tamil medium and had to pick up English along the way. With grit and determination, she cleared JEE Advanced on her very first attempt, securing AIR 75 in the PwD category (Non-Creamy Layer).
Today, Yogeshwari is pursuing aerospace engineering at IIT Bombay—a story of discipline, sacrifice, and the power of a single opportunity.
Source: The Times of India
Riddhima Paul was born in Malda, West Bengal, and has experienced life in a wheelchair due to spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).
As a child, she was barred from entering mainstream schools, which she was determined to change. With the unwavering support of her parents, particularly her mother Arunita, Riddhima did well in her studies, achieving 94.8% in Class 10, and getting 90.8% in Class 12.
After watching the movie Super 30, Riddhima wanted to join the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs).
After appearing for the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) in 2024, she secured an PwD rank of 12. She did miss the mark for direct admission but instead, enrolled for a one-year preparatory course at IIT-Indore.
Riddhima's hard work supported her admission to IIT-Kanpur for the BS of Mathematics and Scientific Computing for the 2025-26 academic session.
Now 19, Riddhima is living in the IIT-Kanpur hostel, living her dream.
Riddhima's journey is a commentary on her resilience, determination, and strong belief that with the support of others and her own effort, any obstacle can be overcome.
Source: The Times of India
Prakash Rathod, a Dalit student from Karnataka, was born with cerebral palsy, making mobility a constant challenge.
Yet, he refused to let this define him. With strong academic support at Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV) and encouragement from dedicated teachers, Prakash not only overcame his physical struggles but also excelled in academics.
His persistence earned him admission into Computer Science Engineering at IIT Gandhinagar, an achievement that highlights the power of inclusive education and dedicated mentorship.
Source : Careers360 News
From a small village in Bihar to the coaching hubs of Kota, 18-year-old Rachna Chaudhary’s life has been a battle every single day.
Born with stunted fingers and toes, she struggles with tasks most of us take for granted. Writing, holding heavy objects, even tying her hair, every action is a challenge. And yet, her dreams have always been bigger than her difficulties.
Her father has been bedridden with psychiatric illness for six years. Her younger brother, Vishnu, battles cerebral palsy, while her mother works tirelessly as a helper in a private company in Noida, earning just ₹10,000 a month.
She even sold her gold earrings to support Rachna’s education. In a single-room rented house, with illness and poverty surrounding them, hope might have seemed impossible, but not for Rachna.
Inspired by former President APJ Abdul Kalam, Rachna dreamed of becoming an engineer. Despite scoring only 62.8% in Class 12 and failing to crack JEE Advanced the first time, she refused to give up.
She came to Kota for coaching, earning a 50% concession on fees and hostel charges, determined to give her dreams one more fight.
But life tested her further. In February, just before JEE Mains, Rachna fell seriously ill with a lung infection.
Hospitalised in Delhi, she received special treatment, yet she refused to let this stop her.
She returned to Kota, still weak, and wrote JEE Mains with courage that could move mountains. With her left hand, using the underdeveloped thumb and index finger, she held the pen and wrote every answer, each stroke a testament to her indomitable spirit.
Despite her illness, despite her challenges, Rachna secured an All-India Rank of 2072 in the PwD category.
And now, she is preparing for JEE Advanced, hoping to fulfil her lifelong dream, to become an engineer, to make her mother proud, and to lift her family from hardship.
Rachna’s story is not just about exams or ranks, it’s about courage, resilience, and hope. It is a reminder that even in the darkest of circumstances, the human spirit can shine, unstoppable, unbroken, and full of dreams.
Source: Times of India
17-year-old Arnav Jaideep Kalgutkar, a student from Pune, made it to the top with a remarkable 99.90 percentile in JEE Main 2021, within the Persons with Disabilities (PwD) category — the second-highest mark within that category.
Arnav has high-functioning autism (also called Asperger syndrome) that makes even the most basic tasks more challenging than they are for most people. He struggles with processing sensory information and language, has slow processing time, as well as difficulties with visual perception and motor skills.
The move to online learning throughout the pandemic was especially hard because of these sensory challenges. Most importantly, Arnav's spirit shone brighter than his challenges. With special accommodations (extra time during the exam, and a scribe) he had the opportunity to show his absolute best performance ever.
Arnav hopes to pursue space engineering, with the dream of building satellites and rockets. His immediate goal is to succeed in the JEE Advanced and gain admission to the IIT Bombay, where he wants to get some hands-on practical project experience.
He also shared the other reasons beyond the academic challenges. Simple things like living in a hostel, how he is sensitive to textures of clothes and baseball caps, and food and how it tastes or feels, and how he does things differently. His mom is a psychologist and saw the challenges Arnav had at an early age, and their home was both a safe space, and at home supportive environment.
The path of Arnav illustrates that determination, with understanding and support, can illuminate the way even through the darkest moments.
Source: Times of India The Times of Indiaindianexpress.com
Ojas Maheshwari dreamed of IIT Bombay since he was 10. But life had a challenge—he was born with 66% hearing loss. Most would see it as a barrier. Ojas never did. He saw only possibilities.
When he was six, his mother Pooja noticed he couldn’t hear the doorbell or her calls. Yet, he learned to lip-read, hiding his struggle from the world. Instead of letting it stop him, his parents decided to give him everything he deserved, filling the gap his hearing couldn’t.
Maths and science became his escape and passion. With his mother guiding him through Olympiads, he shone, winning gold medals, scholarships, and even ranking among the top internationally. Every obstacle became a step forward.
Then came the pandemic. Online classes, malfunctioning hearing aids, masks, muffling voices—every day was a struggle. Yet, Ojas never wavered. Daily, he commuted long hours, facing challenges most cannot imagine, supported quietly by parents who shifted their lives to be with him.
All that grit, all those tears, and all that love culminated in September 2022. Ojas scored All-India Rank 26 in JEE Advanced, topping the PwD category—and proving that dreams are bigger than any limitation.
Ojas’s story is not just about success—it’s about courage, love, and the unstoppable human spirit.
Source: The Better India
Seventeen-year-old Neelesh Verma turned his biggest limitation into his greatest strength. Born with a deformity in his right arm, just one bone instead of two, and only three fingers, he faced challenges in even basic tasks like writing.
Undeterred, Neelesh trained himself to write with his left hand. His persistence reflected in his academic scores: 93% in Class X and 93.6% in Class XII.
In JEE Advanced, he not only cleared the exam but earned a seat in Computer Science and Engineering at IIT Bombay, one of the most competitive branches.
His teachers recall his relentless effort, and his parents proudly stood by as he silenced every doubt society had cast on him.
Today, Neelesh is celebrated not only for his achievement but also for proving that circumstances never define destiny.
Source: koshedutech
Abhishek Ranjan from Ranchi, Jharkhand, was born with visual impairment. Access to books and study resources was extremely limited, but Abhishek turned to audio materials, assistive software, and the unwavering support of his teachers.
Despite these challenges, he cleared JEE Advanced and secured admission at IIT Kharagpur.
His success is a reminder that with the right resources and determination, barriers to education can be transformed into opportunities.
Source: India TV News
Ankit Kumar Sharma, from Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, suffered from partial paralysis below the waist after being diagnosed with the illness. Despite having to undergo three major surgeries, Ankit remained committed to his studies.
With the full support of his family and teachers, Ankit passed JEE Advanced and was granted admission into IIT Delhi, proving to others that, with resolute determination and hard work, all obstacles can be overcome.
Source: The Times of India
Atypical Academy offers specialized coaching and resources for PwD candidates.
Providing them with the study materials, assistive technologies and personalized guidance to every PwD student.
Question 1: What are the types of disabilities that are included under PwD in the JEE exam?
Answer: The JEE exam includes the disabilities such us:
1. Locomotor Disabilities (Like: Muscular Dystrophies, Spina Bifida)
2. Visual Disability
3. Hearing disabilities and
4. Learning disabilities.
Question 2: What is the cutoff rank for PwD in JEE Advanced?
Answer: Cutoff ranks for PwD every year will vary depending on the number of candidates taking the exam and the number of seats.
Check the official JEE Advanced website for the cutoff ranks.
Question 3: What strategies were applied in academic success in preparation?
Answer: Students consistently studied and their use of assistive technology as well as support from families, teachers, and coaching centers.
Question 4: Are there online coaching for JEE exam preparation for persons with disabilities?
Answer: Today, online coaching has become a lifeline for many PwD aspirants.
Platforms like Atypical Academy provide specialized training, accessible study material, and assistive technologies tailored for candidates with disabilities.
With flexible schedules, virtual classrooms, and one-to-one mentorship, Atypical Academy ensures that no student is left behind, proving that the right ecosystem can unlock every learner’s true potential.
The experiences of the 10 stories of PwD students provide evidence of how a number of students have been successful through determination, resilience, and hard work. Not only as successes in one of the hardest examinations, but they also lit a torch for future generations of PwD candidates.
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