Dhritishman Dutta: Meet 18-year-old Assam boy cracked NEET UG, JEE, IAT

It was 18-year-old Dhritishman Dutta's first IAT 2024 attempt. He had also excelled in both the sessions of JEE Main this year, JEE Advanced and the NEET UG

Dhritishman Dutta has achieved AIR 4 in the Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISER) Aptitude Test (IAT) 2024, the result of which was declared on June 25. 

It was Dutta's first attempt at IAT 2024 this year. The 18-year-old boy from Assam also sat in both the sessions of JEE Main 2024, JEE National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET UG).

He scored 1,422 in the JEE Advanced, despite achieving a 99.875 percent on the JEE Main exam in 2024 and being the HSLC Matric Class 10 Assam topper (rank 9). His NEET UG 2024 score was 625 out of 720. 

 

Dhritishman Dutta who cracked NEET UG 2024: Preparation journey 

Dutta stated, had he utilized his JEE Advanced rank, he would have had opportunities for admission at IIT Roorkee, IIT Kanpur or IIT Kharagpur in the electronics and communication engineering or electrical engineering branches. With the NEET UG score, he is qualified for a state-quota seat.

Dutta began his preparation for IAT 2024 after Class 10 with JEE in mind. However, his interest in research and his results on the IISER Aptitude Test led him to focus more on IAT 2024 preparation. He added, “I took PCMB coaching at Aakash. For IAT 2024 exam preparation, my school teachers helped provide the boost to score this feat". 

The Rank-4 holder stated, when asked about his method of preparation, that he used the notes provided by the coaching institute and NCERT textbooks at school. He stated, “After my school got over between 1 pm and 3 pm, I would take some rest and then complete the homework given by the school. I had my online coaching from 7 pm to 10 pm". 

He further stated, “I studied in such a way that my online coaching did not hamper my board exam preparation and school routine. I do not think CBSE students get an edge in the national-level exams. The crux of the syllabus remains the same – be it state board, CBSE or CISCE. Adapting and accepting is the main thing.”

He responded that he had daily goals to complete, which he rarely missed, when asked about his daily routine following the board exams. He further said he had separated his day to read and reconsider topics on PCMB. “I focussed on biology less than PCM for IAT although it carried 25 per cent weight age,” he added. He also solved the previous years’ questions ‘extensively’.

Dhritishman Dutta on how he attempted the IAT 2024 paper

He stated that he attempted the IAT paper in the order specified in the question paper, beginning with biology and proceeding through chemistry, mathematics, and physics. He committed maximum time to physics. 

Dutta stated that the JEE and NEET were not difficult, despite the fact that they are considered to be among the most difficult UG exams. His parents (mother, a lecturer and father, a paediatrician) and his teachers inspired him.

In the Assam board Class 10 exam, he finished ninth-rank in the state with a score of 94.2 percent. He attended Salt Brook, a state board school in Dibrugarh, Assam, where he took his Class 10 and Class 12 exams.