After 3 JEE misses and a 0.5% shortfall, he won BITS Pilani's top startup award at 48

Gaurav Kheterpal, who missed IITs after three JEE attempts and BITS Pilani by less than 0.5%, received BITS Pilani's Startup Excellence Award at 48, inspiring netizens with his perseverance story. Kheterpal detailed his journey on X, saying he attempted JEE from 1995 to 1997 without success and missed BITS Pilani's cutoff narrowly, which hurt more than missing IITs. He later joined a Tier-3 college, topped a lateral exam to migrate to a Tier-2 college, and returned to BITS Pilani for a Masters in 2002-2003. The award was presented at an alumni event in Jaipur, marking a full-circle moment. Kheterpal wrote that life sometimes withholds success at 18 to build grit for earning respect at 48. Commenters noted his three attempts showed self-belief, with some arguing colleges should be viewed as part of a broader journey, not a final destination.