Collapsed lung threatened his JEE dream, but mother's notes helped him reach IIT Delhi
When Gunjan Kumar was bedridden with pneumothorax before JEE Advanced, his mother attended online classes and made notes for him. Her quiet intervention, alongside his resolve and teachers' guidance, helped the Kota student overcome illness and severe vision loss to move towards IIT Delhi.
Behind every success story scripted by students in Kota lies a journey of relentless effort, sacrifice, and determination. Parents' unwavering support and teachers' guidance play a vital role in shaping these achievements.
This year, the success story of a student who cracked JEE Advanced after studying in Kota highlights the extraordinary contribution of a mother, who became her son's classmate in the truest sense.
To ensure that his preparation did not suffer, she attended online classes, prepared detailed notes, and those very notes helped her son secure success. He is now set to join an IIT.
This is the story of Gunjan Kumar and his mother Gunja, residents of Sitamarhi, Bihar. Gunjan had been preparing for JEE at ALLEN in Kota for two years when, just before the examination, he fell seriously ill.
Diagnosed with pneumothorax (collapsed lung), he remained bedridden for nearly three months and was unable to attend classes. During this difficult period, his mother stepped in. To ensure that his studies continued uninterrupted, she played online lecture videos for him and simultaneously watched the classes herself, preparing comprehensive notes.
A homemaker with a BEd degree, Gunja had been living in Kota with her son and, after many years, resumed studying so she could support his dream.
Gunjan also suffers from severe vision impairment. With over 70 percent vision loss, he wears spectacles of 9.5 power. Despite these challenges, he secured the 91.8 percentile in JEE Main. In JEE Advanced, he achieved PWD OBC Category Rank 50 and Common PWD Rank 120. He is now set to fulfil his dream of becoming an IITian by securing admission to the Computer Science branch at IIT Delhi.
His father, Rajnarayan Prasad, is an engineer with the Border Roads Organisation (BRO). His younger brother is also currently in Kota preparing for JEE.
After the results, Gunjan said, "Circumstances are not always in our favour. Examinations test not only knowledge but also courage. I had decided that I would crack IIT-JEE by studying at ALLEN Kota, and I gave it my best. When I fell ill, my mother's support proved invaluable before the examination.
The guidance of my teachers also helped me succeed. Students should always remain positive and keep looking ahead, no matter what challenges they face."
Gunjan's mother, Gunja, said, "My son's dream is my dream. When he fell ill, I was naturally worried. We started watching the online lectures together, and I prepared notes for him. When those notes eventually helped him during his preparation, it gave me immense happiness."
Naveen Maheshwari, Director of ALLEN Career Institute, said, "Kota is a source of real motivation not only for students but also for parents. This city does not merely prepare students to clear examinations; it builds confidence and teaches them how to overcome challenges. Gunjan's story is an inspiration for both students and parents."
WHY HE CHOSE TO COME TO KOTA
Despite his weak eyesight, Gunjan had big dreams. He chose ALLEN Career Institute, Kota, to prepare for JEE because his goal was to study at an IIT. He never allowed his physical limitation to define his identity. He scored 82.5% in Class 10 and 70% in Class 12.
Before coming to Kota, Gunjan researched the best coaching institute for JEE preparation. During his search, he came across a video of Mridul Agrawal, ALLEN's student and the All India Topper of JEE Main and JEE Advanced 2021.
Inspired by Mridul's success, Gunjan decided to come to Kota. He persuaded his parents to send him there. Seeing his determination, the family fully supported him, and in 2023, he joined ALLEN Career Institute, where he began turning his dream into reality.
PNEUMOTHORAX IN OCTOBER, EXAMINATION IN JANUARY
Everything was progressing well after Gunjan arrived in Kota until life presented him with its biggest challenge just before the examination. On 5 October 2025, he appeared for a routine test at the institute.
The very next day, he began experiencing severe chest pain. Medical examination revealed that due to lifting an excessively heavy object, pressure had developed on his left lung, causing it to collapse. Following the diagnosis of pneumothorax, he remained on complete bed rest for nearly three months.
Behind every success story scripted by students in Kota lies a journey of relentless effort, sacrifice, and determination. Parents' unwavering support and teachers' guidance play a vital role in shaping these achievements.
This year, the success story of a student who cracked JEE Advanced after studying in Kota highlights the extraordinary contribution of a mother, who became her son's classmate in the truest sense.
To ensure that his preparation did not suffer, she attended online classes, prepared detailed notes, and those very notes helped her son secure success. He is now set to join an IIT.
This is the story of Gunjan Kumar and his mother Gunja, residents of Sitamarhi, Bihar. Gunjan had been preparing for JEE at ALLEN in Kota for two years when, just before the examination, he fell seriously ill.
Diagnosed with pneumothorax (collapsed lung), he remained bedridden for nearly three months and was unable to attend classes. During this difficult period, his mother stepped in. To ensure that his studies continued uninterrupted, she played online lecture videos for him and simultaneously watched the classes herself, preparing comprehensive notes.
A homemaker with a BEd degree, Gunja had been living in Kota with her son and, after many years, resumed studying so she could support his dream.
Gunjan also suffers from severe vision impairment. With over 70 percent vision loss, he wears spectacles of 9.5 power. Despite these challenges, he secured the 91.8 percentile in JEE Main. In JEE Advanced, he achieved PWD OBC Category Rank 50 and Common PWD Rank 120. He is now set to fulfil his dream of becoming an IITian by securing admission to the Computer Science branch at IIT Delhi.
His father, Rajnarayan Prasad, is an engineer with the Border Roads Organisation (BRO). His younger brother is also currently in Kota preparing for JEE.
After the results, Gunjan said, "Circumstances are not always in our favour. Examinations test not only knowledge but also courage. I had decided that I would crack IIT-JEE by studying at ALLEN Kota, and I gave it my best. When I fell ill, my mother's support proved invaluable before the examination.
The guidance of my teachers also helped me succeed. Students should always remain positive and keep looking ahead, no matter what challenges they face."
Gunjan's mother, Gunja, said, "My son's dream is my dream. When he fell ill, I was naturally worried. We started watching the online lectures together, and I prepared notes for him. When those notes eventually helped him during his preparation, it gave me immense happiness."
Naveen Maheshwari, Director of ALLEN Career Institute, said, "Kota is a source of real motivation not only for students but also for parents. This city does not merely prepare students to clear examinations; it builds confidence and teaches them how to overcome challenges. Gunjan's story is an inspiration for both students and parents."
WHY HE CHOSE TO COME TO KOTA
Despite his weak eyesight, Gunjan had big dreams. He chose ALLEN Career Institute, Kota, to prepare for JEE because his goal was to study at an IIT. He never allowed his physical limitation to define his identity. He scored 82.5% in Class 10 and 70% in Class 12.
Before coming to Kota, Gunjan researched the best coaching institute for JEE preparation. During his search, he came across a video of Mridul Agrawal, ALLEN's student and the All India Topper of JEE Main and JEE Advanced 2021.
Inspired by Mridul's success, Gunjan decided to come to Kota. He persuaded his parents to send him there. Seeing his determination, the family fully supported him, and in 2023, he joined ALLEN Career Institute, where he began turning his dream into reality.
PNEUMOTHORAX IN OCTOBER, EXAMINATION IN JANUARY
Everything was progressing well after Gunjan arrived in Kota until life presented him with its biggest challenge just before the examination. On 5 October 2025, he appeared for a routine test at the institute.
The very next day, he began experiencing severe chest pain. Medical examination revealed that due to lifting an excessively heavy object, pressure had developed on his left lung, causing it to collapse. Following the diagnosis of pneumothorax, he remained on complete bed rest for nearly three months.
