Meet IIT-JEE topper with AIR 1, who quit IIT Bombay after a year due to...

The IIT-JEE exam is one of the toughest exams not only in India but in the world too. Every year lakhs of students from different parts of India sit in the IIT JEE entrance exam to crack the exam and secure a seat in IIT. But only a few thousand of the brightest minds succeed in clearing the IIT JEE entrance exam. Today, we highlight the extraordinary journey of Chitraang Murdia who secured AIR 1 in Advanced 2014 and got admission in IIT Bombay.

But a year after enrolling at IIT Bombay, Chitraang Murdia quit to pursue his passion. He continued on to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to study physics.

Chitraang Murdia completed his physics degree from MIT in 2018 and went on to the University of California, Berkeley to complete his doctorate in 2023.

People were shocked by his decision when Chitraang Murdia decided to leave IIT Bombay. Speaking about the same, Chitraang Murdia told Humans of Bombay, "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 make important decisions in your life and you will be earning in lakhs after receiving the Engineering degree from IIT." 

However, Chitraang Murdia still feels that his choice will encourage a lot of kids to pursue their passions. 

"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 boost up the morale of those students who wish to pursue their interest in pure science but couldn’t do that because of family pressure or money," he said.