AIR 1 or 11? Institute's Ad For IIT-JEE Toppers Has a Student With Two Ranks, Internet Reacts

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras unveiled the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Advanced 2024 results on June 9. This year, Ved Lahoti emerged as the top scorer, securing a near-perfect 355 out of 360. Not far behind, Dwija D Patel from the Bombay zone claimed the title of female topper with an impressive all-India rank of 7, scoring 332 marks.

While many coaching institutes proudly showcased their top achievers, one institute found itself at the center of a social media storm after its advertisement in the Times of India (TOI) raised eyebrows. The ad featured a student named Matcha Balaaditya as both AIR 1 and, puzzlingly, AIR 11. Keen-eyed readers quickly noticed the discrepancy and shared it widely on ‘X’.

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One ‘X’ user humorously compared the situation to childhood fantasies of sending cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar back to bat after getting out, posting, “When I was a kid, and if Sachin got out early, I used to think, why can’t we send Sachin again, with some disguise, nobody will notice with a helmet on. Now check the 1st and 11th ranker.”

The post garnered a flurry of reactions, with another user reminiscing, “I always used to think we can send Sachin in place of Nayan Mongiya.”

Others joined in the fun, suggesting, “At least for the 11th they should have used a helmet or put him in Dhoti Kurta,” and quipping, “This is crazy. Ek aur ek Gyarah hote hai. This is the perfect example.”

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Amid the confusion, some sought clarity, suggesting that the different ranks might be due to category distinctions. One user speculated, “11th is the overall rank in India, 1st is category rank (my guess OBC). There is an * on 1st.” Another chimed in, “Check the * after name in 1st rank… The 1st rank will be in his category (obc, sc,st etc)..  11th is overall rank.”

Although News18 couldn’t independently verify these claims, the post certainly sparked a lively conversation.