The Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main 2025 Session 1 result has come as the perfect birthday gift for Sai Manogna Guthikonda, who will turn 17 later this month. The Andhra Pradesh student is the only girl among 14 students who has secured 100 percentile. Last year, two girls had scored the same score.

The National Testing Agency (NTA) Tuesday released the results for JEE Main 2025 Session 1, which was taken by 12.58 lakh candidates.

Hailing originally from Guthikonda in the Palnadu district, Andhra Pradesh, Sai Manogna is all set to appear for her intermediate second-year exam (equivalent to Class 12 exams), which will be held in March.

Her mother Padmaja, a nutritionist, told indianexpress.com, “She topped her ICSE (Class 10 exam) in school and also Class 11 (intermediate first-year) exam last year,” she said.

When asked why Sai Manogna switched from a national board to the Andhra state board, her mother said, “There were not many good ISC schools in our area. Also, Bhashyam Junior College, where she presently studies, is considered the best here. Her teachers have played an important role in her JEE preparation as we are working parents and hardly get time.”

Sai Manogna said the state board exam is easier than the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE), which has “too many subjects to focus on”.

Unlike other toppers, Sai Manogna did not get enrolled in a coaching institute as she felt her studies prepared her well for JEE Main. “My teachers and friends supported me throughout. I enjoy subjects that have logic, and therefore, computer science and maths are my favourites,” she said, adding that all six of her friends with whom she used to do group study have cracked JEE Main.

“I devoted 12-14 hours daily to my studies including preparation of JEE Main. Constant revising helped me achieve confidence. Sunday was the only day when. I used to relax – wake up late, watch motivational videos of IIT students who showed life in an IIT, discoveries, etc,” she added.

How about social media, where most teenagers spend their time? “I was on Instagram till Class 10, but then I deactivated my account. I wanted to concentrate on my studies, but social media was a distraction. It was initially difficult, but I decided if I wanted to get into a good college, then I have to make this temporary sacrifice,” she said.

Which IIT is she aiming for? “For now, I am targeting a good rank. I like electronics and communication but have not decided on any college and branch,” Sai Manogna said.

Her elder brother is a final-year student at the Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) in Kerala’s Kottayam district. Her father teaches mechanical engineering at RVR and JC College of Engineering, Guntur, in Andhra Pradesh.

Sai Manogna has already registered for the JEE Main April session. “While my focus is on JEE Advanced, I have registered for the April session just for practice purposes,” she said.

 

Neeti Nigam leads the education department at indianexpress.com. She joined the Indian Express in 2015 and has set up the education and job sections in the online department. She covers schools and higher education, entrance and board exams, study abroad, civil services and other career-related news. Prior to that, she worked as a lifestyle and entertainment journalist in The Pioneer newspaper's magazine division. Besides working in the in-flight Air India (Namaskaar) magazine, she was part of the launch team of Indian Railways on-board magazine Rail Bandhu. She has also worked as a city reporter covering north Delhi in Hindustan Times. In 2012, she covered the MCD elections. You can write to her at neeti.nigam@indianexpress.com ... Read More