Meet IIT JEE Advanced topper who got 334 marks out of 360, went to IIT Bombay but left after only a year due to..., he is now..

Whenever one talks about the toughest competitive exam in India, the IIT JEE exam is the one that grabs the most attention. To pass the exam and get into a good college, many candidates begin to prepare after the results of Class 10 are released. The candidates who pass the IIT JEE exam with flying colours also manage to get admission into the prestigious IIT and are thus hired by multinational companies at a high-paying salary. It takes many sacrifices, dedication, hard work, and discipline to become an IIT graduate, which is why it is difficult to comprehend when someone decides to leave IIT to follow their passion. 

Let us tell you about one such candidate today, who passed the IIT JEE exam, and got admission into his dream institute but despite this, he decided to leave it all behind to follow his heart. We are talking about none other than Chitraang Murdia who secured AIR 1 in JEE Advanced 2014. 

After securing AIR 1 in JEE Advanced, Chitraang Murdia got to join IIT Bombay for further studies. However, he left the reputed institute after only a year to study Physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Chitraang Murdia completed his Graduation in Physics from MIT in 2018 and then did his PhD from the University of California, Berkeley in 2023. According to his LinkedIn, Chitraang Murdia is currently working as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Pennsylvania.

In an earlier interview with Humans of Bombay, speaking about his decision to leave IIT Bombay, Chitraang Murdia said, "Everybody was shocked by this decision, and that included even my friends. People used to say that you are a kid and don’t know how to take important decisions in your life and you will be earning in lakhs after receiving the Engineering degree from IIT."

However, Chitraang Murdia always knew that his decision to follow his passion would surely inspire hundreds of others to follow suit. "I have seen the students who are good in physics and maths following the herd to seek admission to courses such as computer science and electrical engineering. It will definitely boost the morale of those students who wish to pursue their interest in pure science but can’t do that because of family pressure or money."

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