KEAM topper Roshan Raju set aside love for chess to pursue IIT dream

Roshan Raju, a native of Amalapuram in Ayyampuzha, Angamaly, who secured the first rank in the KEAM 2026 engineering entrance examination, said the achievement was the result of two years of hard work. He secured 586.1408 marks out of 600 in the KEAM 2026 engineering rank list. He completed his Plus One and Plus Two at KE School, Mannanam, Kottayam. Roshan also secured the top rank in Kerala in the JEE Advanced examination.

Speaking to Onmanorama, Roshan said he was extremely overjoyed at the achievement. “I studied for entrance alongside my Class 11 and 12. I did not follow any specific routine other than studying for long hours every day. I loved studying, so it was not a sacrifice for me,” he said.

Roshan added that he revised all portions taught in school and practised additional problems in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. “Maths is usually hard, but I really like the subject, so it was not necessarily difficult. Chemistry was easy to learn. I used to read and memorise,” Roshan said. He also credited his teachers for their support. “My class teacher has been incredibly supportive in my journey. Teachers made sure to give individual attention to each student,” he added.

Roshan said he had been active in sports until Class 10. “I used to play chess and was active until Class 10, but I kept it aside for my studies. Since childhood, I have also played badminton,” he said. Speaking to Onmanorama, Roshan’s father Raju, who works as a branch manager at KSFE Kakkanad, said the family was incredibly proud of his win. “We expected him to secure a rank after he was listed among the top six candidates, but we never imagined he would emerge as the topper,” he said. Roshan had scored full marks in the Plus Two examination and plans to join IIT Madras for higher studies, he added.

His mother, Jasmine, is a teacher at Government Boys Higher Secondary School.

Soon after the results were announced, Roshan's home was abuzz with congratulatory messages from relatives, friends and teachers. Minister for Higher Education Roji M John congratulated him over the phone and later visit his house.