Meet Odisha’s Om Prakash Behera. The 17-year-old has done what is considered as a rare feat in academics — he secured a perfect score of 300/300 to top the JEE Main 2025 January session. Behera achieved a 100 percentile NTA score and his disciplined approach, self-study and strategic preparation helped him ace the exam. Behera followed a disciplined routine, dedicating around nine hours daily to self-study. Rather than just focusing on long hours, he prioritised quality over quantity. “Every test was a stepping stone,” he told India Today in an interview.

His preparation involved rigorous self-analysis after every test. “The graph of marks keeps fluctuating in weekly tests, but I always tried to give my best. After each test, I would analyse my mistakes and make sure I didn’t repeat them in the next one,” he said.

But how was he able to dodge the digital distractions in today’s time? Well, this is something that sets him apart. Unlike most students of his age, Om Prakash doesn’t own a smartphone. He made a conscious decision to stay away from digital distractions. “I never had a phone. It was my way of staying focused,” the India Today report quoted him as saying. While many rely on online resources, he stuck to books, coaching materials and in-person learning to prepare for the exam.

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When it came to study materials, Om Prakash stuck to the NCERT syllabus for mastering the basics.

Om Prakash hails from Odisha’s Bhubaneswar, but moved to Kota three years ago to pursue JEE coaching at Allen. His academic journey has been a family effort, especially with his mother Smita Rani Behera. A college lecturer in Odisha, his mother put her career on hold to stay with him in Kota, ensuring he had the best environment for his studies. His father Kamalkant Behera is an officer in the Odisha Administrative Services.

Scoring full marks in JEE Main is just a milestone. Om Prakash’s real goal is to ace JEE Advanced. “I want to pursue BTech in Computer Science at IIT Bombay,” the report further quoted him as saying.

Revealing his success mantra, the topper said, “Instead of focusing on what has already happened, I focus on what is happening.”