{
  "id": 10141976,
  "title": "‘The biggest recognition here had nothing to do with my marks’ | Life in an IIT",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/27/the-biggest-recognition-here-had-nothing-to-do-with-my-marks-life-in",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-27T04:38:04.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Indian Express",
    "slug": "the-indian-express",
    "url": "https://indianexpress.com/article/education/life-in-an-iit-roorkee-gold-medal-winner-aashi-jain-btech-mechanical-engineering-jee-main-advanced-10895169/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On September 19, 2026, Aashi Jain received the President of India Dr Shankar Dayal Sharma Gold Medal at IIT Roorkee's 26th Convocation. The award was given for outstanding social service, character, and conduct outside the classroom. It had nothing to do with her CGPA, rank, or branch of study. This recognition was for the kind of person she had become over four years at the institute - in the hostel corridors, sports courts, clubs, and relationships she built. Aashi Jain, a 22-year-old from Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, graduated from the Mechanical Engineering department at IIT Roorkee. She grew up in Ghaziabad, attended Delhi Public School there, and earned a silver plate in Class 12 for being a scholar for seven consecutive years. Her journey to IIT Roorkee began with taking the JEE Main and JEE Advanced exams in 2022, securing a rank of 9,756. She was drawn to Mechanical Engineering due to a genuine interest in mechanics and physics, the way things are designed and built. Despite the challenges of adjusting to life at IIT Roorkee and managing academics alongside extracurricular activities, Aashi found support from her family, friends, and the institute's faculty. She served as technical secretary of Himalaya Bhawan, co-convened Srishti, and participated in various sports and events. The faculty at IIT Roorkee was deeply knowledgeable and approachable, providing practical insights and guidance beyond academics. The institute's peaceful and close-knit community, combined with her love for basketball, badminton, and other extracurricular activities, made her experience at IIT Roorkee a transformative one.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}