Ridhi Maheshwari, one of the top scorers in JEE Main 2023, believes that the notion of women not being able to excel in math is untrue and that they can achieve anything they set their minds to.
Ridhi Kamlesh Kumar Maheshwari, a student from Karnataka who received a perfect score of 100 percent, is the only female among the 43 students who placed first in the Joint Entrance Examination – Main (JEE-Main) 2023.
Ridhi Maheshwari recalls how the boys in her coaching class believed she would get into a good college solely because of a gender-based quota, but she disagreed. She believes that women can excel in math and that they are capable of achieving anything they set their minds to. Additionally, she noted that there are sufficient seats for girls in the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs).
Who is Ridhi Maheshwari?
Ridhi Maheshwari was born at her maternal grandparents’ home in Kota and was raised in Gulabpura, a town near Ajmer, until she completed sixth grade. Later, her family moved to Mumbai, and when she was in 11th grade, they relocated to Bangalore. While studying in 11th grade, Ridhi began her JEE Main preparation at Allen Bangalore. She focused on studying NCERT thoroughly since the JEE Main is entirely based on NCERT.
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Ridhi utilized various study materials such as solved test papers and practice tests provided by her coaching center. According to Indian Express, her father Kamlesh Kumar Maheshwari is a stockbroker with a degree in chartered accounting. Ridhi developed an interest in engineering in 8th grade due to her love for math and saw it as a viable career option.
In Class 8, Ridhi was drawn to mathematics and saw it as a promising career option in engineering. However, it was not until Class 10 that she fully committed to pursuing engineering. Her enthusiasm for coding was sparked by her classwork in Java during Grades 9 and 10. Ridhi aspires to pursue computer science engineering at IIT Bombay.
Ridhi Maheshwari’s guide throughout this journey
Raghav, Ridhi’s brother and an IIT graduate himself, has been a significant source of support for her and helped her to pursue her goals. Together, they convinced their parents that despite being male-dominated, the IIT environment is changing, and with the current surplus of seats for female students, more girls are enrolling in IITs.
Ridhi feels grateful that her family has been her primary source of support. They never let her feel overwhelmed by the pressure of exams and always encouraged her to give her best. She also acknowledges that the path of JEE is not commonly taken by girls due to the biases, uncertainties, and anxieties associated with it.
