Every year, toppers make the news, but only a few stories leave a lasting impression. That happened on April 2, 2017, when the JEE Main results were declared and one name started echoing across the country: Kalpit Veerwal. A student from Udaipur, he didn’t just top the exam with AIR 1 — he achieved something no candidate had ever managed before: a flawless 360 out of 360.
Almost overnight, Kalpit transformed from a regular high school student into a national sensation. Newspapers hailed him as the “perfect scorer,” coaching institutes showcased him as the ultimate benchmark of success, and people quickly assumed his life was already set on a predictable track — IIT, a prestigious placement, and a lucrative corporate job. But Kalpit’s dreams were never limited to that traditional script.
Instead of following the well-worn IIT-to-corporate path, he used the attention and opportunities that came with AIR 1 to explore something much more personal. He wanted freedom to experiment, freedom to learn, and the space to understand what genuinely fascinated him. His journey after IIT became less about fitting into a mould and more about discovering his own direction.
For him, April 2, 2017 wasn’t just the day of an exam result; it was a turning point that subtly but permanently shifted the course of his life. He walked into the exam hall like any other aspirant and walked out having made history — suddenly under the spotlight of an entire nation, yet quietly preparing to chart a path uniquely his own.
From perfect scorer to unexpected singer: Why Kalpit Veerwal walked away from the IIT race
