This testimonial comes from two extraordinary brothers, Mahroof and Masroor, whose journeys reflect the power of deep conceptual learning and disciplined thinking. Under my mentorship, Mahroof went on to win a Gold Medal at the International Junior Science Olympiad (IJSO) and secure AIR 32 in JEE Advanced 2026 and AIR 44 in JEE Main 2026, while Masroor achieved AIR 169 in JEE Advanced 2026 and AIR 58 in JEE Main 2026 after qualifying for the IJSO OCSC. In this heartfelt message, they share how intuition, imagination, and conceptual clarity shaped their success and express their sincere gratitude for the role my teaching played in their academic journey.
Respected Devansh Sir,
We are Mahroof and Masroor, your former students, and we are writing this to express our deepest gratitude for the invaluable role you have played in our academic and personal journeys.
Looking back at our milestones, we realize that the foundation of our success was laid entirely under your mentorship.
With your guidance, we were privileged to achieve milestones we once thought were distant dreams:
Representing India and winning a Gold Medal for the nation at the International Junior Science Olympiad (IJSO)
AIR 32 & AIR 169 in JEE Advanced 2026
AIR 44 & AIR 58 in JEE Main 2026
While these ranks and medals are a testament to hard work, the true catalyst was the way you taught us to think.
What set your classes apart was a relentless emphasis on INTUITION OVER ROTE MEMORIZATION.
You constantly pushed us to seek the deeper meaning behind every concept, urging us to ask WHY a physical phenomenon occurs before figuring out how to calculate it.
YOUR UNIQUE APPROACH
You taught us the power of imagination. You trained us to visualize complex physical setups and build mental models before touching a pen to paper.
This gift of visualization became our ultimate strength, giving us the confidence to break down completely unfamiliar problems, whether we were competing on an international Olympiad stage or tackling the toughest questions in JEE Advanced.
THE POWER OF CONCEPTUAL CLARITY
In a competitive landscape where many rely on pattern recognition and formula shortcuts, your focus on absolute conceptual clarity became our greatest competitive advantage.
By ensuring our fundamentals were unshakeable, you stripped away the fear of the unknown. When faced with highly complex, multi-concept problems in JEE Advanced and the Olympiads—questions designed to break standard formulas—our strong conceptual foundation allowed us to derive solutions from first principles.
You didn’t just teach us Physics; you gave us the ultimate toolkit to conquer any high-stakes examination.
A MESSAGE TO OUR JUNIORS
To our juniors who are currently learning under Devansh Sir, our biggest advice is to trust his process completely.
In the beginning, focusing deeply on concepts and visualization might feel slower than just memorizing a formula to get a quick answer. But commit to it anyway.
The intuition Sir builds in you is a superpower that compounds over time. When the syllabus expands and the problems get tougher, it is this conceptual depth—not shortcuts—that will carry you through.
Listen to his insights, ask the “WHYS”, and embrace the way he teaches you to think.
SHAPING OUR ACADEMIC FUTURE
Your impact on us goes far beyond these examinations.
You didn’t just prepare us for a test; you genuinely transformed the way we approach learning itself. By instilling a rigorous scientific temperament and a passion for deep inquiry, you have permanently shaped our future academic paths.
The analytical mindset and problem-solving resilience we developed in your classroom are the very tools we will carry forward into our higher education and future careers in science and technology.
A NOTE OF DEEP APPRECIATION
Sir, we feel incredibly fortunate to have been mentored by an educator of your caliber.
Your boundless passion for Physics, your patience, and your genuine investment in our growth have left an indelible mark on our lives. You made a notoriously difficult subject beautiful and enjoyable.
Thank you for your tireless guidance, your unwavering belief in our potential, and for helping us bring pride to the country.
WE WILL ALWAYS REMAIN PROFOUNDLY GRATEFUL TO YOU.
WITH SINCERE RESPECT AND GRATITUDE,
MAHROOF Gold Medalist, IJSO AIR 32, JEE Advanced 2026 | AIR 44, JEE Main 2026
MASROOR IJSO OCSC AIR 169, JEE Advanced 2026 | AIR 58, JEE Main 2026
Every JEE aspirant wants a top rank, but very few understand the principles that consistently produce one.
In this exclusive interview, I speak with Vasu Vijay, one of my former students, who secured an outstanding AIR 56 in JEE Advanced 2025. Beyond his remarkable JEE performance, Vasu is also an International Junior Science Olympiad (IJSO) Gold Medalist, reflecting years of exceptional scientific aptitude and disciplined preparation. His journey demonstrates how a strong conceptual foundation built through Olympiads can become a powerful advantage for succeeding in one of the world’s toughest entrance examinations.
Through 23 thoughtfully designed questions, Vasu shares the strategies, habits, and mindset that guided his preparation—from Olympiads and concept-building to study planning, mock-test analysis, exam strategy, stress management, and the importance of mentors. More than a discussion about cracking JEE, this interview explores how top performers learn, think, and continuously improve.
Whether you are just beginning your preparation or striving for a top rank, the lessons in this conversation will help you study with greater clarity, confidence, and purpose.
23 thoughtful questions on JEE preparation, Olympiads, discipline, setbacks, mentorship, exam strategy, and the habits that shape exceptional achievement.
Phase 1: The Journey Begins
Question 1: The Result Moment
Walk us through the exact moment you (and your parents) saw that you secured a top All India Rank. What was that feeling like?
Response 1:
It was early in the morning, around 6 A.M., when I checked the result. Seeing my rank was an incredibly happy and satisfying moment. When I shared the news with my family, they were overjoyed. It was a moment of celebration and relief for all of us after years of hard work.
Question 2: The Catalyst
When did you officially start your JEE preparation? Was getting into an IIT always your ultimate dream, or did the realization happen later?
Response 2:
I started preparing seriously for JEE during Classes 10 to 12. The idea of getting into an IIT had been in my mind for a few years before that, so it was a goal I had been working towards for quite some time.
Question 3: Identifying the Path
How did you figure out your true academic interest? At what point did you decide to pursue engineering over medical or commerce?
Response 3:
The decision developed gradually. I was always interested in building things, solving problems, and understanding how systems work. Engineering felt like the natural path because it combined creativity, innovation, and problem-solving.
Question 4: The Olympiad Edge
You have represented India in international Olympiads. How important are these exams (like IJSO, NSEP) in building the foundation for JEE?
Response 4:
Preparing seriously for Olympiads like IJSO helps build strong fundamentals, develops problem-solving skills, and teaches you how to learn effectively. These skills become extremely valuable later during JEE preparation.
Preparing for NSEP is a good idea if you are preparing for IIT, because the syllabus for both is very similar.
However, as you move on to the higher stages beyond NSEP towards IPhO, the Olympiad syllabus starts deviating from the IIT path. I would recommend my juniors to take NSEP very seriously, but not necessarily the higher stages of the Physics Olympiad if they do not wish to compromise their IIT preparation.
If they believe they can manage both the Olympiad and IIT, then they can continue with all the stages of IPhO.
Similar are my views towards the Chemistry Olympiad.
Phase 2: Academic Architecture & Blueprint
Question 5: The Daily Routine
What did your daily routine look like? Did you follow a rigid timetable (by the hour) or a flexible, target-based approach?
Response 5:
I mainly focused on completing my daily goals. Rather than following a rigid timetable, I preferred a target-based approach where the priority was getting important work done consistently. I always tried to study 6-8 hours daily, apart from my classes which used to consume around 5-6 hours of time. On a holiday, I used to study a minimum of 10 hours.
Question 6: Sleep & Cycles
How many hours of sleep did you prioritize? Did you prefer studying late at night or early in the morning?
Response 6:
I generally preferred studying a little later at night, but I always tried to get at least 6–7 hours of sleep. Adequate sleep was important for maintaining concentration and productivity.
Question 7: Subject Allocation
How did you balance Physics, Chemistry, and Math? Did you allocate equal time to all, or base it entirely on your weak points?
Response 7:
In the beginning, I gave roughly equal attention to all three subjects. During revision, however, I adjusted my time according to my needs, spending more time on weaker subjects or topics that required additional work.
Question 8: The Material Trap
Did you rely strictly on your coaching modules, or did you use multiple reference books (like H.C. Verma)? Is it better to solve one book three times or three books once?
Response 8:
For concept-building, solving the same high-quality material multiple times is usually sufficient. It also saves time because you can focus on strengthening weak areas rather than repeatedly solving questions you are already comfortable with.
In my opinion, you should follow the material provided in your coaching institute and the material which your teachers recommend. That is generally sufficient.
However, if you feel bored or want additional practice, exploring new books can provide fresh problem formulations based on similar concepts. But more is not always better, hunting for new books all the time is also not a good idea.
Question 9: Study Material
Which material did you use for IJSO and what material did you use for IIT?
Response 9:
For Physics during IJSO preparation, I mainly used H.C. Verma and Past Year Questions. In other subjects I primarily used class notes and Past Year Questions of NSEJS and INJSO.
For IIT-JEE, I relied primarily on coaching material. In physics, in addition I used H.C. Verma and selected topics from I.E. Irodov. In the other subjects, my primary focus remained on coaching material. If at all I followed any other resources, they were only the ones suggested by my teachers to me. My recommendation is, just follow your coaching material and your teachers.
Question 10: Biology and IJSO
Being an IIT aspirant, how was your attitude towards Biology during IJSO preparation?
Response 10:
One thing I enjoyed about IJSO Biology was that it was highly application-oriented and logical. Because of that, I found it interesting and engaging rather than something that had to be memorized. Since I was in Class 9 at the time, I also had sufficient time to balance it with future JEE preparation.
Question 11: IOQM and IMO
Should students focus on IOQM if their future goal is IIT?
Response 11:
I think this depends largely on personal interest. Attempting IOQM can be a good way to stay connected with mathematical thinking. However, the skills and syllabus required for higher-level Olympiad mathematics are quite different from JEE, so it is not necessary for every IIT aspirant.
Question 12: School and Coaching
How did you manage the time with both school and coaching?
Response 12:
I was enrolled in a dummy school, so managing regular school commitments was not a challenge for me.
Question 13: Sports and Recreation
Did you only study during those preparation years or did you also spend time in sports, workouts, and other recreational activities?
Response 13:
I practiced yoga in the mornings during my JEE preparation. Apart from that, I occasionally watched television, but most of my time was focused on academics.
Phase 3: Psychology, Adversities & Mindset
Question 14: Tackling Failure
What were your best and worst scores in mock tests? How did you mentally recover from a disastrous test score?
Response 14:
My best score was around 330 out of 360, while my lowest was around 190. Whenever I performed poorly, I carefully analysed where I had lost marks and why. I also discussed both the academic and psychological aspects of the situation with my teachers. At the end of the day, a mock test is only a tool for improvement, not a final judgment.
Question 15: The “Silly Mistakes” Protocol
Almost every student loses ranks to silly mistakes. Did you maintain a “mistake notebook,” and how did you actively minimize these errors?
Response 15:
Instead of maintaining a separate notebook, I marked questions directly in my hard copies and categorised them according to the type of mistake and its underlying cause. I would carefully review these questions the day after the exam and focus on preventing similar errors in the future.
Question 16: Conquering Fear
Was there a specific topic (like Thermodynamics or Fluids) that terrified you? How did you overcome it?
Response 16:
Topics such as parts of Rigid Body Dynamics and Fluid Dynamics were initially difficult because building intuition for them took time. Some concepts were also quite dense. Rather than fearing them, I accepted that they would require more effort and invested additional time in understanding them properly.
Question 17: Digital Distractions
How did you handle smartphones and social media? Did you cut them off completely, or use them in moderation?
Response 17:
I used my phone normally, but primarily for communication through WhatsApp. I did not spend significant time on social media platforms, which helped me stay focused without feeling completely disconnected.
Question 18: The “Burnout” Days
What did you do on days when you were completely exhausted and absolutely did not want to study?
Response 18:
If I felt genuinely tired, I would take a short nap or play a game for a while before returning to work. Since I lived at home, burnout was not a major issue for me, but I always tried to listen to my body when I needed a break.
Phase 4: The Ecosystem (Family, Mentors & Peers)
Question 19: The Peer Group
How important is a highly competitive friend circle in cracking JEE? Did you do group studies or doubt-solving with friends?
Response 19:
Discussing doubts and brainstorming with friends helped me develop a much deeper understanding of concepts. It also provided a useful reality check regarding my preparation. At the same time, it is important not to feel intimidated by what others are doing. What matters most is how effectively you are using your own time and opportunities.
Question 20: The Mentors
Were you ever hesitant to ask doubts in a class full of brilliant students? How did your bond with your teachers help you beyond academics?
Response 20:
Yes, I did feel hesitant in some classes initially. However, overcoming that hesitation and asking doubts is extremely valuable. Building a strong relationship with teachers helps not only academically but also in developing confidence, perspective, and better decision-making throughout the preparation journey.
Phase 5: The Exam Day & The Aftermath
Question 21: The Exam Strategy
Did you have a pre-decided sequence for attempting the paper (e.g., Chemistry, then Physics, then Math), or did you adapt based on the paper’s difficulty?
Response 21:
I always adapted my strategy according to the paper. My priority was to identify and solve the easier questions first, secure those marks, and then return to the more challenging questions later.
Question 22: Exam Temperament
Were you nervous on the actual day of the exam, or did giving continuous mock tests eliminate the “exam fear”?
Response 22:
By the time the actual exam arrived, I had very little exam anxiety. Regular mock tests had helped me build familiarity with the exam environment and develop the confidence needed to perform calmly under pressure.
Once I started attempting my actual IIT exam, it felt like a regular mock test only to me.
Phase 6: Unplugged & Rapid Fire
Question 23: The Ultimate Advice
What is your final, defining piece of advice for the millions of juniors who want to be in your shoes next year?
Response 23:
Build strong relationships with your teachers, focus deeply on conceptual understanding, surround yourself with a positive and motivated peer group, and make sure you have a healthy way to manage stress. These factors may seem simple, but over time they can make a tremendous difference in both your preparation and your final outcome.
10 Powerful Lessons Every JEE Aspirant Should Learn from AIR 56 & IJSO Gold Medalist Vasu Vijay
1. Build Concepts Before You Chase Ranks.
Vasu’s greatest strength was never memorization—it was understanding. A deep conceptual foundation built through Olympiads made advanced JEE problems feel logical instead of intimidating. Students who truly understand concepts rarely fear difficult questions.
2. Learn Once, Revise Many Times.
The temptation to keep buying new books is one of the biggest mistakes aspirants make. Vasu recommends mastering one excellent resource repeatedly rather than collecting dozens of unfinished books. Depth always beats variety.
3. Olympiads Can Give You a Multi-Year Advantage.
Preparing for Olympiads such as IJSO and NSEP develops analytical thinking, scientific curiosity, and advanced problem-solving skills long before JEE preparation becomes intensive. Students who start early often spend less time struggling later.
4. Hard Work Without Reflection Is Incomplete.
Every mock test should answer one question: “Why did I lose marks?” Instead of worrying about scores, Vasu analyzed mistakes, discussed them with teachers, and transformed every failure into a lesson for the next examination.
5. Great Students Don’t Fear Difficult Topics—They Invest More Time in Them.
Instead of avoiding challenging chapters like Fluid Mechanics or Rotational Dynamics, Vasu simply accepted that some concepts demand additional effort. Fear disappears when understanding increases.
6. Your Teachers Can Accelerate Your Journey More Than Any Book.
One of Vasu’s strongest messages is to build meaningful relationships with your teachers. Asking doubts without hesitation, seeking guidance regularly, and discussing both academic and psychological challenges dramatically shortens the learning curve.
7. Study Targets Matter More Than Study Timetables.
Rather than following a rigid hourly schedule, Vasu focused on completing meaningful daily goals. Flexible, target-based planning allowed him to remain productive without becoming trapped by unrealistic timetables.
8. Examination Strategy Is a Skill That Must Be Practiced.
On the actual exam day, Vasu did not blindly follow a fixed subject order. He adapted intelligently, solved easier questions first, secured guaranteed marks, and returned later to tougher problems. Smart decisions inside the examination hall can significantly improve your final rank.
9. Success Doesn’t Require Isolation.
Contrary to popular belief, Vasu maintained a healthy routine that included yoga, meaningful discussions with friends, and balanced use of technology. Sustainable success comes from managing your energy—not from studying every waking minute.
10. The Best Students Never Stop Improving.
Perhaps the most inspiring lesson from Vasu’s journey is his growth mindset. Every difficult topic became an opportunity to learn. Every mock test became feedback. Every conversation with teachers became a chance to improve. This relentless commitment to continuous learning ultimately separated him from thousands of equally hardworking aspirants.
Final Thought
The defining lesson from Vasu Vijay’s journey is simple:
Extraordinary ranks are not achieved by students who merely solve the maximum number of questions. They are achieved by students who understand concepts deeply, revise intelligently, trust great mentors, analyze every mistake, and keep improving every single day.
When learning becomes deeper than memorization, preparation becomes more enjoyable, confidence grows naturally, and success becomes the logical outcome rather than a matter of chance.
Among the many students I have had the privilege of teaching, Arnav Gautam stands out as one of the most accomplished. In 2026, he secured AIR 7 in JEE Advanced and AIR 5 in JEE Main, achievements that place him among the very top students in the country. His journey, however, extends far beyond JEE. Over the years, he qualified prestigious examinations including NSEJS, INJSO, NSEP, INPhO, INChO, and INAO, and attended the OCSC camps for both Junior Science and Physics Olympiads.
What makes Arnav’s testimonial especially meaningful to me is not merely the extraordinary list of achievements, but his reflection on the deeper aspects of learning. In the words that follow, he shares how an emphasis on conceptual understanding, intuition, visualization, and independent thinking helped shape his approach to Physics and problem-solving. He also speaks about the role that mentorship, personal guidance, and scientific thinking played throughout his academic journey.
I am delighted to share Arnav’s thoughts and experiences in his own words. His journey is a powerful reminder that lasting success is built not only on hard work, but also on a strong foundation of understanding and a genuine love for learning.
Respected Devansh Sir,
I am Arnav Gautam. I was your student in the IJSO batches earlier.
This year, I secured AIR 7 in JEE Advanced 2026 and AIR 5 in JEE Main 2026. Along the way, I also qualified NSEJS, INJSO, NSEP, INPhO, INChO, and INAO multiple times, and attended the OCSC camps for both Junior Science and Physics Olympiads.
I would like to sincerely thank you for the role you played in this journey.
One thing that always made your classes different was your emphasis on understanding rather than memorization. You never encouraged us to blindly apply formulas. Instead, you taught us to think deeply about concepts, build intuition, and visualize physical phenomena. This approach completely changed the way I looked at Physics.
Your classes not only strengthened my problem-solving abilities but also developed the confidence to tackle unfamiliar and challenging questions. Whether it was preparing for Olympiads or JEE, the strong conceptual foundation built in your classes helped me immensely.
I am also grateful for the effort and personal attention you invested in your students. Your guidance, suggestions, and constant encouragement motivated me throughout my preparation. The problem-solving mindset and scientific way of thinking that I learned from you have benefited me far beyond examinations.
Looking back, I realize that many of my achievements would not have been possible without the foundation you helped me build. Thank you for inspiring me to genuinely enjoy Physics and for always pushing me to think independently.
I will always remain grateful for your mentorship and support.
Best regards,
Arnav Gautam AIR 7, JEE Advanced 2026 AIR 5, JEE Main 2026
Step outside on a clear night and look up at the sky. You will see thousands of stars scattered across the darkness, some shining brilliantly while others appear as faint points of light. Most of us never question why the spaces between those stars are dark. It feels completely natural. Yet this seemingly ordinary observation hides one of the most profound questions in the history of science: Why is the night sky dark at all?
At first glance, the answer appears obvious. Many people assume that the sky is dark because most of space is empty. Surprisingly, that explanation is not correct. In fact, this simple question puzzled astronomers for centuries and eventually helped reveal one of the most important discoveries about the universe itself.
The Puzzle Nobody Expected
Imagine a universe that is infinitely large, filled with stars in every direction, and has existed forever. In such a universe, no matter where you looked, your line of sight would eventually end on the surface of a star. A useful analogy is a dense forest: wherever you look, your view ultimately terminates at a tree. By the same reasoning, every direction in the sky should eventually terminate at a star.
If this picture were correct, the entire night sky should glow with starlight. In fact, it should be almost as bright as the surface of the Sun. Yet the real night sky is overwhelmingly dark. This striking contradiction became known as Olbers’ Paradox, and it challenged some of the greatest scientific minds for generations.
Could Dust Be Blocking the Light?
One proposed solution was that enormous clouds of cosmic dust might be absorbing the light from distant stars before it reached Earth. At first, this idea seemed promising. However, it contains a fatal flaw. Dust that absorbs starlight cannot remain cold forever. Over time, it would heat up and begin emitting radiation of its own. Eventually, the dust would glow just as brightly as the light it absorbed, leaving the sky bright once again.
The darkness of the night sky therefore demanded a deeper explanation.
The Astonishing Solution
The breakthrough came when astronomers realized something extraordinary: the universe is not infinitely old. Instead, it had a beginning. Today, we call that beginning the Big Bang.
Because the universe has existed for only a finite amount of time, light from many distant stars and galaxies simply has not had enough time to reach us. When we gaze into the darkness of space, we are not necessarily looking into empty regions. In many directions, we are looking beyond the observable horizon of the universe, toward places whose light is still traveling toward us. The darkness of the night sky is therefore evidence that the cosmos has a finite age and a history.
Darkness as a Cosmic Message
The story becomes even more fascinating when we consider that the universe is expanding. As distant galaxies move away from us, their light becomes stretched to longer wavelengths through a process known as redshift. Over billions of years, much of the radiation produced throughout cosmic history has been shifted beyond the range of visible light into infrared and microwave wavelengths.
In other words, the universe is not truly dark. It is flooded with radiation. Our eyes simply cannot detect most of it. If human vision were sensitive to microwaves, the sky would appear to glow in every direction with the faint afterglow of the Big Bang itself.
The Next Time You Look Up
The darkness above you is not merely the absence of light; it is a source of information. It tells us that the universe has not existed forever. It tells us that light travels at a finite speed. It tells us that the cosmos is expanding and evolving with time.
Perhaps the most beautiful realization is that the dark night sky is not empty at all. It is a silent record of the universe’s origin, age, and history. Every star visible in the night sky is a reminder of the vastness of the cosmos, but the darkness between those stars may be even more profound. It is the darkness itself that reveals one of the greatest truths ever discovered: our universe had a beginning, and the night sky quietly tells that story every single night.
Imagine holding a cat upside down and gently releasing it.
For a brief moment, the cat is falling through the air. There is no floor beneath it, no wall beside it, and nothing obvious for it to push against.
Yet something remarkable happens.
The cat twists its body, rotates in midair, and lands gracefully on its feet.
Most people accept this as a charming feline talent. Physicists, however, see something much deeper.
The falling cat appears to be violating one of the most important laws in physics.
How can something rotate if nothing is making it rotate?
The Puzzle
Suppose an astronaut is floating alone in deep space, far from any planets, stars, or spacecraft. If the astronaut is initially not spinning, can they suddenly start spinning without pushing on anything?
The answer is no.
According to the conservation of angular momentum, an isolated object cannot spontaneously begin rotating. Angular momentum is one of nature’s most fundamental conserved quantities.
This makes the cat’s behavior seem impossible.
If the cat starts falling without any overall rotation, how can it end up turning around?
For decades, this question fascinated some of the world’s greatest physicists.
The Secret Is Shape
The answer lies in a subtle distinction that our intuition often misses.
The cat does not create angular momentum out of nowhere. Instead, it changes the shape of its body.
A falling cat first bends its body into two sections. It pulls in its front legs while extending its rear legs. Then it twists the front half of its body in one direction and the rear half in the opposite direction.
Because the front and rear parts have different distributions of mass, they rotate by different amounts. The opposite rotations cancel in terms of total angular momentum, but they do not cancel in terms of orientation.
By repeating this process, the cat gradually changes its overall orientation while keeping its total angular momentum equal to zero.
The cat rotates without ever violating the laws of physics.
A Surprising Analogy
Imagine sitting on a swivel chair holding two heavy dumbbells. By moving your arms inward and outward, you can change how fast you spin without anyone pushing you.
The cat performs a far more sophisticated version of this idea. It uses the flexibility of its body to rearrange its mass in a carefully coordinated sequence.
What appears to be magic is actually a brilliant exploitation of geometry and conservation laws.
Why Physicists Love This Problem
The falling-cat problem is much more than an amusing curiosity.
The same principles appear in spacecraft control, robotics, biomechanics, and even advanced areas of mathematics. Engineers designing satellites often use ideas inspired by the cat’s maneuver to change orientation without expelling fuel.
A household pet inadvertently demonstrates concepts that connect everyday life to cutting-edge science.
The Most Beautiful Lesson
The next time you watch a cat land effortlessly on its feet, remember that you are witnessing a masterpiece of physics.
The cat is not breaking the laws of nature. It is obeying them with extraordinary elegance.
Perhaps that is one of the deepest lessons science teaches us. The universe often appears mysterious not because its laws are violated, but because those laws are far more subtle and beautiful than our intuition expects.
Sometimes, one of the most profound demonstrations of physics is not found in a laboratory or an observatory.
Some achievements are measured by ranks and medals. Others are measured by the depth of understanding, discipline, and intellectual growth developed along the journey.
Aadish Jain’s remarkable journey — from beginning Physics with uncertainty to representing India at the International Junior Science Olympiad (IJSO) 2025 and winning a Gold Medal for the country — is a story of curiosity, perseverance, and genuine conceptual learning.
What makes his testimonial especially meaningful to me is not merely the achievement itself, but the values it reflects: independent thinking, strong intuition, intellectual honesty, and the courage to deeply struggle with difficult ideas instead of relying on shortcuts.
His words beautifully capture the teaching philosophy I have always believed in — that Physics should not merely be memorized, but truly understood.
I am immensely proud of Aadish and deeply grateful to have been a part of his extraordinary journey.
Respected Devansh Sir,
Winning a Gold Medal for India at the International Junior Science Olympiad (IJSO) 2025 after being selected among the six students chosen to represent the country has been one of the proudest achievements of my life. This journey, which began with my qualification in the Indian National Junior Science Olympiad (INJSO) 2025 and continued through the OCSC camp, would not have been possible without your invaluable guidance and mentorship.
As I look back on this entire experience, I realize how deeply your teaching transformed my understanding of Physics and shaped my overall way of thinking.
When I first joined your online classes in June last year, Physics was not particularly my strongest subject. However, as the course progressed, I gradually developed not only conceptual clarity, but also a genuine fascination for the subject. The intuitive manner in which you explained concepts made Physics feel intellectually beautiful rather than intimidating.
What truly makes your teaching extraordinary is your emphasis on genuine understanding instead of superficial problem-solving. While many teachers focus mainly on shortcuts, memorization, and formula-based approaches, you consistently encouraged us to think independently, struggle honestly with problems, and derive equations ourselves. You taught us that developing the correct method and depth of thought is far more important than merely arriving at an answer.
That philosophy had a tremendous impact on me.
Your classes trained me to think analytically, build strong intuition, and approach difficult problems with confidence and patience. Over time, this way of learning became one of the greatest strengths in my Olympiad preparation and played a major role throughout my INJSO, OCSC, and IJSO journey.
Beyond academics, your philosophical insights on discipline, consistency, learning strategy, and personal growth were equally inspiring. They helped me develop a far more mature and focused mindset toward both studies and life.
I sincerely believe that the strong conceptual foundation and scientific temperament I developed under your mentorship became one of the most important reasons behind my success.
Thank you once again, Sir, for your constant encouragement, extraordinary guidance, and for inspiring students to truly understand Physics instead of merely studying it. I will always remain deeply grateful for your support and hope to continue learning from your wisdom in the years to come.
Very few academic journeys reflect excellence across so many of the world’s most prestigious examinations and Olympiads at such a young age. From securing an extraordinary AIR 56 in IIT-JEE Advanced, to winning a Gold Medal with International Rank 8 at the International Junior Science Olympiad (IJSO) 2022 in Bogotá, Colombia, to achieving International Rank 10 along with Distinction in the prestigious Sir Isaac Newton (SIN) Exam conducted by the University of Waterloo, Vasu Vijay’s accomplishments stand as a remarkable testament to intellectual depth, discipline, and conceptual mastery.
What makes his story especially meaningful to me, however, is not merely the scale of these achievements, but the transformation behind them.
As Vasu himself shares in this testimonial, there was a time when Physics felt difficult and unintuitive to him. Over the years, through a learning approach centered around intuition, conceptual understanding, analytical thinking, and scientific imagination, he gradually developed not only mastery over the subject, but also a genuine love for it.
His words beautifully reflect a philosophy I have always believed in deeply — that true excellence in Physics does not emerge from memorizing formulas or mechanically solving thousands of problems, but from learning how to think clearly, understand concepts fundamentally, and approach challenges with calmness and intelligence.
One of the most touching parts of Vasu’s testimonial is his gratitude toward the way he was taught to approach both Physics and examinations themselves — not with fear or pressure, but with curiosity, strategy, and confidence. To know that this mindset contributed meaningfully to his Olympiad journey, his international success, and his IIT-JEE performance is profoundly fulfilling as a teacher.
Vasu’s journey is not merely a story of ranks and medals. It is a story of transformation — from confusion to clarity, from hesitation to confidence, and from learning formulas to truly understanding the beauty of Physics.
I feel immensely proud to have been part of his journey and deeply grateful for the sincerity and warmth with which he has expressed his appreciation.
Respected Devansh Sir,
I remember that at the beginning of Class 9, Physics was the subject I struggled with the most. Even the basic concepts often felt unclear to me, and I never really enjoyed studying the subject. However, the way you taught Physics completely changed how I viewed it. Your emphasis on intuition and conceptual understanding helped me develop genuine interest in the subject.
What impacted me the most was that your teaching was never limited to memorizing formulas or blindly applying methods. Instead, you always encouraged us to understand the idea behind every concept and every question. Because of this, whenever I now encounter a Physics problem, my first instinct is to understand the concept deeply before attempting to solve it. The questions discussed in class were themselves more than sufficient to develop a strong understanding, without the need to solve hundreds of questions from multiple books.
Apart from academics, your guidance regarding examination pressure and mindset also helped me immensely. I still remember your idea of treating an exam like a puzzle, where the objective is to optimize marks, calmly and intelligently. That approach proved to be extremely effective for me and positively influenced my performance in every major examination thereafter.
This way of learning and approaching Physics helped me throughout my entire Junior Science Olympiad journey, from NSEJS and INJSO to the OCSC selection camp at HBCSE, eventually culminating in a Gold Medal and an International Rank 8 in IJSO 2022 held in Bogotá, Colombia. The same approach and mindset later continued to help me in other examinations as well, including JEE Advanced, where I secured AIR 56, and the Sir Isaac Newton (SIN) Exam, where I secured an International Rank 10 along with a Distinction.
I will always remain grateful to you not just for teaching Physics so beautifully, but also for changing the way I approach learning and problem solving as a whole. Thank you for making Physics so intuitive and enjoyable for me!
Sometimes, even a few months of the right guidance can completely transform a student’s confidence and way of thinking. Palak Sanadhya joined my classes only a short time before JEE Advanced, yet her sincerity, hard work, and deep commitment toward conceptual understanding helped her secure admission to Indian Institute of Technology Bombay in Chemical Engineering.
What makes her testimonial especially meaningful to me is that it reflects the very philosophy with which I teach Physics — not as a collection of formulas to memorize, but as a subject to be visualized, understood intuitively, and appreciated deeply. I am grateful to have played a small role in her remarkable journey.
Securing admission to Chemical Engineering at Indian Institute of Technology Bombay after clearing one of the most competitive examinations in the country was a dream come true for me. And although I studied under Mr. Devansh Mittal for only around three months before JEE Advanced, the impact of his teaching during that short period was truly remarkable.
What immediately stood out to me in his classes was the way he approached Physics — not as a subject to be memorized, but as something to be deeply understood and mentally visualized. In an environment where students often focus only on speed and formulas, his teaching emphasized imagination, intuition, and conceptual clarity.
Whether it was Mechanics, Thermodynamics, Waves & Oscillations, Electrodynamics, Optics, or Modern Physics, he explained every topic with extraordinary precision and simplicity. Even concepts that had previously felt confusing became intuitive after his explanations. His ability to connect physical understanding with mathematical problem-solving made a tremendous difference in my preparation.
One of the most unique aspects of his teaching was his belief, inspired by Albert Einstein, that imagination and intuition are just as important as logic in learning Physics. Instead of encouraging rote methods, he trained us to think independently and understand the deeper meaning behind every concept. That approach not only improved my problem-solving ability, but also gave me confidence while attempting challenging JEE Advanced questions.
Beyond academics, I was deeply touched by the sincerity and honesty with which he guided his students. He genuinely cared about our progress, regularly communicated with parents, and ensured that students remained disciplined, motivated, and mentally focused during such an important phase of preparation.
Despite the limited time I spent under his mentorship, his guidance had a lasting impact on my understanding of Physics and my confidence as a student.
Mr. Devansh Mittal is far more than an excellent teacher — he is a mentor who inspires students to think deeply, learn sincerely, and believe in their own potential.
I will always remain grateful for his support and guidance during one of the most important phases of my academic journey.
There are moments in a teacher’s journey that become deeply meaningful — not merely because of praise, but because of the source from which that appreciation comes.
Receiving a heartfelt testimonial from Prof. Saif Khan Mohammed of Indian Institute of Technology Delhi was one such moment for me.
Prof. Saif is not only a distinguished academician from the Department of Electrical Engineering at IIT Delhi, but also someone who himself secured an under-100 rank in IIT-JEE during his student years. His deep understanding of Physics, analytical thinking, and exposure to high-level technical education make his words especially valuable and humbling.
What touched me most was not simply his appreciation of my lectures, but his recognition of the philosophy behind my teaching — beginning from first principles, developing intuition step by step, and helping students gradually build the confidence to solve highly challenging problems, including advanced problems from the legendary book by I. E. Irodov.
As educators, we often strive not merely to teach formulas, but to cultivate curiosity, clarity of thought, and genuine understanding. To know that these efforts resonated with a respected IIT Delhi professor and benefited his daughter deeply is something I will always cherish.
I am sharing his words below with immense gratitude and humility.
Dear Shri Devansh
I am Prof. Saif Khan Mohammed, Dept. Electrical Engineering l.I.T. Delhi. My daughter is enrolled in your online course. I have been personally viewing your physics video lectures and I must say that I have not seen such high quality lectures before. My daughter has seen other online lectures, but none of them are as good as yours. After seeing your lectures she was able to solve difficult problems in Mechanics from the book by I. E. Irodov. The way you start any topic from basics and gradually increase complexity is what makes it easy for students to learn physics with so much ease. I thank you for your great contribution to education and I am sure you will make even greater contribution in the years to come.
Prof. Saif
IIT Delhi
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Prof. Saif is a learned professor at IIT Delhi. He himself had under 100 Rank in IIT-JEE when he appeared into it.
The Intuitive Physicist 