Tamil Nadu’s NEET topper credits it to his love for Biology

Unwilling to give up on his dreams, the 19-year-old wrote the exam in 2020, and this time, he was the TN topper and ranked eighth nationally with a score of 710 out of 720.

“It’s amazing. It’s been my dream to enter the field of medical research after studying cardiology. I want to discover something that will help people in the years to come,” said Srijan.

Watching the work of the doctors during the pandemic, Srijan has felt more motivated in his ambitions for selfless service.

Studying during the pandemic was a bit of a challenge in itself but with constant motivation from his academy, Green Park Coaching Centre in Namakkal, he was able to pull through.

“We had weekly motivational sessions. They would tell us not to worry, and to enjoy ourselves as we studied. Once we knew that we had to write the exam with the mask and gloves, I did several practice tests with them on. It was funny; the pen kept slipping because of the glove,” he said.

A fan of football, Srijan played for his school’s team, winning the Performer of the Tournament Award at the 2019 Erode Sahodhya competition. Playing as a forward, Srijan enjoyed playing with his friends prior to the pandemic. He is also an avid fan of movies, something that he says he’s had a lot of time to do owing to the lockdown.

“To those going to write the exam after me, I’d tell them not to worry too much. Constant practice helps, and it’s easier if you love the subject because then it’s fun to study. Also, students should develop some stress-busting techniques that will help them over the course of preparation,” he said.