Alwar Girl’s Unfinished AIIMS Dream Becomes Brother’s Raksha Bandhan Gift For Her
Guided by his medical student sister, Gaurav Sangwan secured NEET AIR 9 and fulfilled her unfinished dream of studying at AIIMS Delhi, reports Manish Gautam.
Published : August 28, 2026 at 3:08 PM IST
Kota: This year, Raksha Bandhan was special for Anuja Sangwan. Her brother Gaurav, secrued All India Rank 9 in NEET and gained admission to the country’s premier medical institute and that she believed, was the rakhi gift he gave her. This emotion behind Anuja's story speaks of a story that began in Kota a few years ago.
When Anuja arrived in the Kota, the coaching hub in 2019, to prepare for medical entrance, she was accompanied by her younger brother Gaurav and mother Seema Devi. Their father, Rajesh Sangwan, is a Subedar Major in the Army. In 2023, Anuja scored 640 marks in her first NEET attempt and secured a rank of around 9,000. She wanted to study at AIIMS Delhi, but her rank did not qualify her for the premier institute. She eventually joined the MBBS programme at ESIC Medical College in Alwar.
Since she could not fulfil her dream of studying at AIIMS Delhi, she guided and encouraged Gaurav to clear the entrance with rank 9. "Instead of allowing the disappointment to stay with me, I decided to make it my goal to guide my younger brother. Now it feels as if years of hard work paid off. Gaurav has got a rank that makes him eligible for AIIMS," says Anuja.
For her, Gaurav's achievement is the most precious Raksha Bandhan gift she could have received.
The Sangwans belong to Ganduwas village in Rajasthan’s Alwar district.
“I may not have become a topper, but I told him that he should get into AIIMS. It offers excellent education and brings together some of the country’s brightest students,” Anuja adds.
Even while managing her demanding MBBS course, she remained closely involved in her brother’s preparation. She spoke to him over the phone every day, asked for details of what he had studied and checked whether he was keeping pace with his schedule. During holidays, she returned to Kota and guided him in person.
Anuja also drew up a study timeline for Gaurav, explaining the discipline and consistency needed to prepare for the medical entrance examination. She would question him on different subjects, point out gaps in his preparation and motivate him whenever his confidence dipped.
Their father said Anuja understood the examination process and took much of the responsibility for guiding her brother. “My daughter was always a bright student. She motivated Gaurav and explained every aspect of the medical entrance examination to him. I stepped in whenever they needed me, but she was his main guide,” says Rajesh.
Gaurav followed the schedule prepared by his sister and worked hard to get a rank that would take him to AIIMS. "My aim was to get a good enough rank for AIIMS. My sister prepared a timeline for me, and I followed it. She would ask many questions about my studies, but I knew she was doing it to help me,” Gaurav says with a sense of gratitude.
Having secured admission shortly before Raksha Bandhan, he considers the achievement his special gift to Anuja.
The bond between the two was strengthened by years of studying together. Anuja scored 95 per cent in Class 10 and 97 per cent in Class 12. Gaurav secured 92 per cent and 90 per cent, respectively. As a child, he would watch his sister studying and say that he wanted to work just as hard when he grew older.
The siblings often shared a room while studying, drawing motivation from each other. Anuja’s role, however, will not end with Gaurav’s admission to AIIMS.
She says she would continue guiding him through his first year of MBBS and help him cope with the demanding course. “MBBS is difficult. The more disciplined and focused we remain, the better prepared we will be for future examinations such as NEET-PG,” she says.
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