Matching the competitive spirit of his batch-mate who topped JEE Mains (Session 1), Chandigarh’s Aarush Singhal experienced the same feeling by topping JEE Mains (Session 2), the results of which were announced this evening. The Sector 37 resident secured All India Rank (AIR) 8 — emerging as the sole topper from Chandigarh.A six-year classroom student at Sri Chaitanya and a student of Bhavan Vidyalaya, Sector 27, Singhal aims to join the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay. A former basketball player, he did not let pressure derail his goal of topping the exam. Instead, Singhal followed a routine of studying for short hours and focusing more on revision. “Instead of sitting for six to eight hours, I would study for two hours and take a break before revising. It helped me stay in constant touch with all the topics,” said Singhal, who has attended numerous Olympiads and qualified for INMO, INPHO, INCHO, and INAO, besides attending OCSC camps. His father is a software engineer and his mother is a homemaker. His younger brother, who also wishes to become an engineer, is a student of Class 9. “I never thought of making it to the top 10 in the country or topping the Chandigarh ranking. I trusted the process and didn’t give up my hobbies. I have been part of various student-oriented sessions focusing on how to build a good future,” said Singhal.Not only Singhal, but three other students from Sri Chaitanya Institute also scored 100 percentile. Arnav Gandhi scored 100 percentile to secure AIR 22, emerging as the Haryana topper. Gandhi, who stays in a hostel in Chandigarh, hails from Hisar. Son of dentist parents, Gandhi is a student of Bhavan Vidyalaya, Panchkula, and aims for admission to a reputed IIT. He scored 295/300 in JEE Main 2026. “He has been a brilliant student since childhood and aims to get admission to a good and reputed IIT. He chose the IIT path based on his interest; we just support him in the cause. He is staying in Chandigarh and preparing for further studies,” said his mother, Dr Shikha Gandhi. Niskarsh Verma scored 99.999 percentile, securing AIR 46, and Yajat Singhal scored 99.996 percentile, securing AIR 100. Verma is also a student of Bhavan Vidyalaya, Panchkula.