Meet Indian genius who scored 720/720 in NEET-UG, cracked IIT-JEE with 99.9 percentile, studied only 4 hours a day with no fixed routine, he is…

His study routine changed often. Some days, he was very productive, while on others, he found it hard to study at all. On average, Mrinal studied for about four hours a day, and on his best days, he went up to five hours.

Getting into the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) is a dream for many students in India. The entrance exams, JEE Main and JEE Advanced are among the toughest in the world. At the same time, the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) is the main path to becoming a doctor in India. While most students focus on just one of these, Mrinal Kutteri managed to clear both.

Mrinal comes from Hyderabad and lives with his parents, younger brother, and grandparents. His family originally hails from Kerala, and interestingly, no one in his close family is a doctor but his interest in science began early. In classes 8 and 9, he started enjoying biology and chemistry. By the time he entered class 11, he had set his goal to prepare for NEET.

In a 2021 interview with India Today, Mrinal shared that he first thought about becoming an army doctor because he wanted to combine medicine and adventure. However, over time, his focus shifted more toward the medical field alone. He also said that seeing doctors fight the COVID-19 pandemic inspired him even more to choose this path.

How Mrinal Kutteri balanced studies during the pandemic

When the COVID-19 pandemic forced schools to shut down, students across the country had to switch from classroom learning to online classes. This sudden change affected many, but Mrinal Kutteri welcomed it at first.

Mrinal shared that in the beginning, he actually enjoyed the lockdown. However, this shift soon affected his academic performance, and he realized he needed to get back on track. Though it took some time at the beginning, he eventually got into a better routine.

Interestingly, Mrinal didn’t follow a strict study timetable like many other toppers. He admitted that he liked a flexible approach to learning. According to him, trying to stick to a tough schedule that he couldn’t follow would only lead to stress and waste time. Instead, he chose to study in a way that suited him best, based on his energy and interest levels each day.

Mrinal Kutteri’s study approach that led to NEET AIR 1

In a 2021 interview with India Today, NEET topper Mrinal Kutteri shared how he followed a unique and stress-free way of studying. Instead of having a strict daily timetable, he chose a flexible method. Each day, he would set a small goal for himself, and how he completed it was entirely up to him.

“There were many days when I couldn’t complete what I planned,” Mrinal admitted, “but I didn’t feel discouraged. I was okay with that, and I think that really helped me stay calm and focused.”

His study routine changed often. Some days, he was very productive, while on others, he found it hard to study at all. On average, Mrinal studied for about four hours a day, and on his best days, he went up to five hours, but never more than that.

Contrary to the notion that students must sacrifice hobbies during intense exam preparation, Mrinal ensured a balance between academics and leisure. He enjoyed binge-watching comedy shows on Netflix and Prime, using entertainment as a means of relaxation and motivation.

Even for other tough exams like KVPY and JEE Main in Class 12, he didn’t put in extra hours beyond his NEET prep. Still, he managed to score an amazing 99.9 percentile in JEE Main. But his biggest success came with NEET 2021, where he achieved a perfect score of 720 out of 720, securing All India Rank 1.