E-rickshaw driver's son set to become first IITian from Rajasthan village

When Inderjeet first heard about IIT in Class 10, it sounded like something meant for other people.

Students from big cities. Students who could afford expensive coaching. Students with resources he simply did not have.

Today, the teenager from Pathanwala village in Rajasthan's Sri Ganganagar district is set to become the first IITian from his village after securing an OBC NCL rank of 1040 in JEE Advanced 2026.

His father drives an e-rickshaw. The family's annual income is below Rs 1 lakh.

Yet against the odds, Inderjeet refused to let his circumstances decide his future.

A VILLAGE, A SMARTPHONE AND A BIG DREAM

Inderjeet grew up in a village where, as he puts it, "basic facilities like water, healthcare and even well-functioning sewage systems are hard to come by."

Until Class 9, he studied in a local school where few people knew about exams like JEE or NEET.

Everything changed after he switched schools in Class 10.

"Some seniors told me about IIT and JEE. That's what started my journey of wanting to become an engineer," he says.

WHEN A LIBRARY BECAME HIS COACHING CENTRE

With limited finances, joining a major offline coaching institute was never an option. Instead, he turned to online learning. But even that came with challenges.

"My existing data plan wasn't sufficient and there were so many power cuts," he recalls. Limited mobile data also made studying difficult.

"That is when my father told me to join the local library in a nearby village and study there. It had free internet, table, chair and no electricity issues."

The library soon became his second home.

After appearing for JEE in 2025 and feeling dissatisfied with his score, he took a drop year.

"When I first found out about IIT, I also used to think it is only for those who can afford expensive coaching, but PhysicsWallah completely changed my perspective," he says.

Inderjeet credited his online teachers from PhysicsWallah for much of his preparation, relying on their classes, notes and test series throughout his drop year.

His routine was disciplined. He woke up early, started studying by 6 am, solved maths problems before school hours, spent the day at the library, revised previous concepts, attended online classes, studied Physics, Chemistry and Maths daily, completed homework till 6:30 pm and slept by 9 pm.

Apart from studies, he is a state-level kho-kho player and enjoys cricket, badminton and kabaddi. He also likes taking nature walks.

'DEMOTIVATION IS NOT A WORD IN MY DICTIONARY'

Like most JEE aspirants, Inderjeet faced moments when his dream seemed distant.

"There were many instances where I thought my dream of studying at IIT was slipping away due to the marks I was scoring in tests," he says.

But giving up was never part of the plan. "I had decided early on that I am never going to give up whatever the situation may be," he says.

His personal motto became simple: "Demotivation is not a word in my dictionary."

A MESSAGE FOR RURAL STUDENTS

Inderjeet believes one of the biggest myths surrounding IIT preparation is that success requires expensive coaching.

"When I first found out about IIT, I also used to think it is only for those who can afford expensive coaching," he says.

His advice to students from villages and small towns is straightforward: "I managed to crack JEE Advanced by studying online, so you can do it. All you need to do is believe in yourself."

For now, the aspiring engineer hopes to pursue BTech at IIT Roorkee and dreams of one day working at companies such as Google or Microsoft in the fields of AI and machine learning.

The day he shared his result with his parents remains unforgettable.

"My family was very happy and very proud of me. I teared up then because it felt like I'd made it."

For a boy from a small Rajasthan village, it was the moment a dream became real.