IIT JAM 2025 Topnotch Story: Approximately 1 lakh candidates appeared for the JAM 2025, and out of them, 35,000 successfully cleared the examination.
Among those thousands of qualified candidates is Atul Kumar, a story that stands as an inspiration not just for JAM 2026 aspirants, but for anyone preparing for entrance exams.
Joint Admission Test for Master’s (JAM) is a national-level entrance exam, and clearing it does require a lot of hard work, discipline, and determination.
Who Is Atul Kumar, the Horse Handler Who Cracked IIT JAM 2025?
Atul Kumar, a 24-year-old, has cleared the IIT JAM 2025 examination and has secured admission into the MSc Mathematics program at IIT Madras. He is from a village in Rudraprayag, Uttarakhand. His father works as a horse handler during the Kedarnath pilgrimage season, and he also helps his fathers.
In his summer vacations, her has lived in tents in Kedarnath pilgrimage season with no electricity and internet. In an interview, he has said that
“In the beginning, I didn’t even know what IIT was. Growing up, water shortages and lack of awareness kept us from dreaming big. I wasn’t interested in engineering until a teacher introduced me to the idea of doing a master’s at IIT. That changed everything.”
I began studying in July. I had just returned from Kedarnath, where I was working in June—there was no network, and we lived in tents, so studying was not possible. My friend Mahavir…helped me a lot by sharing his notes. I studied consistently till January, and the exam was in February. My biggest motivation was to move ahead in life to escape that place and create something better for myself.”
“More than my own joy, it was the happiness on others’ faces that touched me — teachers, neighbours, even people who never taught me called to congratulate,” he said.
What candidates should learn from Atul’s story is that resources can’t be the reason behind anyone’s preparation. Anyone who has dedication to clear any examination or wants to achieve anything will get it if they are disciplined and focused.
IIT JAM 2026 examination will take place in the month of February 2026. If you are going to take the exam, don’t wait anymore. Start your preparation today, and whenever you feel like giving up, just remember stories like Atul Kumar’s.
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