Pune: Shravani Kudale Secures AIR 5 in NEET-UG 2026 Re-Exam, Tops Maharashtra
Pune, 17th July 2026: Shravani Krishna Kudale from Khadki village in Daund taluka of Pune district has emerged as one of the country’s top performers in the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination, securing All India Rank (AIR) 5, becoming the highest-ranked female candidate in India, and topping Maharashtra with 710 out of 720 marks.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) conducted the NEET-UG re-examination after the original test held in May was cancelled following a paper leak. The re-exam was conducted on June 21 across 5,440 examination centres in 551 cities in 13 languages, and the results were declared on Thursday night.
Instead of being disheartened by the cancellation of the earlier examination, Shravani used the additional preparation time to strengthen her concepts and improve her performance. Her achievement has brought pride to Pune district and highlighted the academic potential of students from rural Maharashtra.
Shravani completed her primary education at the Zilla Parishad Primary School in Chormale Vasti, Gopalwadi, in Daund taluka. She later studied at Sharadabai Pawar Vidyaniketan in Malegaon before completing her higher secondary education at Ladkat School. Her parents, Krishna Kudale and Jayashree Kudale, are both teachers in Zilla Parishad schools.
Sharing her preparation strategy, Shravani said, “I attended private coaching for NEET preparation and also devoted at least six hours every day to self-study. I focused on understanding concepts instead of memorising them. The paper leak was disappointing initially, but I chose to treat the extra time as an opportunity to prepare even better. Consistent effort and a clear goal helped me achieve this success.”
According to the NTA, nearly 20 lakh students appeared for the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination, with around 11.21 lakh candidates qualifying for undergraduate medical admissions. More than 58 per cent of the qualified candidates are girls.
Shravani was among 138 students nationwide who scored 680 marks or above. Other high achievers from Maharashtra include Mohansingh Bhosale (AIR 10), Sarthak Patil (AIR 14), Sannidhya Dongre (AIR 28), Arnav Lahoti (AIR 32), Pranav Tembhurne (AIR 33), Raushmit Gupta (AIR 34), Soham Patil (AIR 53), Sagar Karikar (AIR 67), Soumya Badole (AIR 77), Anushree Thorat (AIR 85), Arya Divekar (AIR 90), Sahim Patwegar (AIR 106), Suhan Sheikh (AIR 116), Aamir Warawala (AIR 119), Sarthak Pethkar (AIR 120), Shrivallabh Gawade (AIR 122), and Gopal Patil (AIR 137).
Shravani’s accomplishment stands as an inspiring example of resilience, determination, and the ability to turn adversity into success.
