# Bedridden by a collapsed lung before JEE Advanced, this Bihar student topped anyway, thanks to notes his mother made

> Sitamarhi's Gunjan Kumar spent three months bedridden after a lung collapse just before his exam, but his mother Gunja kept his JEE preparation alive by making notes from online classes, and he is now headed to IIT Delhi.

**Type:** article · **Category:** Success Stories · **Published:** 2026-07-04 · **Source:** TrendKia
**Canonical:** https://trendkia.com/en/success-stories/phephara-kolaipsa-hone-ke-bavajuda-gunjan-ne-jee-advanced-pasa-ki-man-ne-banae-notsa-to-bete-ko-mili-iit-delhi-ki-sita-4748 · **Language:** English
**Tags:** JEE Advanced, Kota coaching, IIT Delhi, mother's sacrifice, pneumothorax, Allen Institute, success story

Thousands of students move to Kota every year chasing a JEE seat, but Gunjan Kumar's journey from Sitamarhi in Bihar carries an unusual twist: when illness confined him to bed, his mother Gunja stepped in as his classmate, watching online classes and building notes herself so her son could crack JEE Advanced. That effort has now paid off, with Gunjan set to join the computer science branch at IIT Delhi.

## An illness that threatened everything
Gunjan had spent two years in Kota preparing for JEE at Allen Career Institute. Just before the exam, his health took a turn. On October 5, 2025, he sat for a routine test at the institute, and the very next day he developed severe chest pain. Doctors found that lifting an excessively heavy load had put pressure on his left lung, causing it to collapse, a condition called pneumothorax. He then spent nearly three months on complete bed rest and could not attend a single class.

## When his mother became his classmate
To make sure his preparation did not suffer, his mother Gunja stepped in. She showed Gunjan online video lectures and watched them herself, making detailed notes as she went. Gunja is a homemaker who has done a BEd, and she stayed with him in Kota, returning to serious study after many years for her son's sake. Those very notes later became crucial for Gunjan, helping him stay on track before the exam.

## Big dreams despite weak eyesight
Gunjan has weak eyesight, with more than 70 percent of his eyesight impaired, and he wears glasses of power 9.5. Even so, he never let his weakness define him. He passed class 10 with 82.5 percent marks and class 12 with 70 percent marks. Before moving to Kota, he researched which coaching institute would be right for JEE preparation, and came across a 2021 video of Mridul Agarwal, an Allen student who was the All India Topper in JEE Main and Advanced that year. Inspired by that success, Gunjan decided he too would go to Kota, insisted to his parents, and finally moved there in 2023.

## The result and what comes next
Gunjan scored a 91.8 percentile in JEE Main. In JEE Advanced, he secured rank 50 in the PWD OBC category, and his common PWD rank stands at 120. He is now set to take admission in the computer science branch at IIT Delhi, realising his dream of becoming an IITian. His father, Rajnarayan Prasad, works as an engineer with the Border Roads Organisation. Gunjan's younger brother is also currently in Kota preparing for JEE.

## In their own words
After the result, Gunjan said circumstances are not always in our favour, and an exam tests not just study but also courage. He said the support his mother gave him during his illness proved invaluable ahead of the exam, and that the guidance of his faculty helped him succeed. He believes students should always stay positive and keep looking ahead.

His mother Gunja says her son's dream is her dream too. When Gunjan fell ill she was worried, but the two of them sat together watching videos while she made notes. She says it made her very happy when those notes later proved useful to him. She adds that Kota is a genuine source of motivation not just for students but for parents as well, since the city does not just prepare students to clear an exam, it also builds confidence and teaches them to face challenges.

## What this means for you
- **Across India:** This story sets an example for JEE aspirants and parents everywhere who are looking for the resolve to keep preparation going despite serious illness or physical challenges.
- **In Kota:** It shows how deeply families of students studying in Kota, especially parents, can get involved in their child's studies to support them through a crisis.

## Questions & Answers

### 1. Where is Gunjan Kumar from?
He is from Sitamarhi district in Bihar.

### 2. What illness did Gunjan suffer from?
He suffered from pneumothorax, a collapsed lung, after which he spent nearly three months on bed rest.

### 3. When did this illness happen?
On October 5, 2025 he took a routine test, and the next day he developed chest pain, which tests revealed was a collapsed lung.

### 4. What did Gunjan score in JEE Main and Advanced?
He scored a 91.8 percentile in JEE Main, and in JEE Advanced he secured rank 50 in the PWD OBC category with a common PWD rank of 120.

### 5. Which IIT will Gunjan attend now?
He is set to take admission in the computer science branch at IIT Delhi.

### 6. How did Gunjan's mother help with his studies?
During his illness, his mother Gunja watched the online classes herself and made notes, which later proved very useful in his preparation.

### 7. What inspired Gunjan to go to Kota?
He watched a 2021 video of Mridul Agarwal, JEE's All India Topper, and was inspired to decide on Kota for his own preparation.

## Inspiration & Lessons
- **Never give up:** Despite illness and weak eyesight, Gunjan refused to stop studying.
- **Family support matters:** His mother Gunja studied the material herself and made notes so her son's preparation would not stall.
- **Let inspiration set your goal:** Seeing Mridul Agarwal's success pushed Gunjan to decide on Kota for himself.
- **A positive mindset is essential:** Gunjan himself says an exam tests not just study but also courage.

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