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A software engineer shared why his father’s failed IIT-JEE attempt became the biggest advantage of his life, saying it freed him from expectations and fear of failure.
Years later, his own IIT success became a celebration his father never forgot. (X/@late_bloomer_7 and Pexels)
Not every failure ends in disappointment. Sometimes, it quietly changes the future in ways no one expects. A software engineer has now shared how one such moment in his father’s life became the reason he never feared failure himself.
The New York-based techie said that although his father could not clear the IIT Joint Entrance Examination (JEE), that setback turned into an unexpected advantage for the next generation. His post has now sparked conversations about family expectations, success and second chances.
His Father Never Cleared JEE
Akash Sampurnanand Pandey, a software engineer based in New York and an IIT BHU graduate, shared the story on X. “The best thing that ever happened to me was my father failing the IIT JEE,” he wrote.
He recalled that in the summer of 1980, his father travelled nearly 200 kilometres by hitchhiking with just Rs 10 in his pocket to reach the examination centre. According to Akash, his father had only learned about IIT JEE six months before the exam.
Coming from a small village, he decided to give it a try because he was considered one of the brightest students there. However, things did not go as planned. “Failed. Spectacularly. Couldn’t crack a single question, he says,” Akash wrote.
Failure Became An Advantage
Despite not clearing the exam, Akash said his father never became bitter. Instead, he continued to admire IIT graduates throughout his life. “No bitterness ever. Only awe. Throughout my childhood, he described IITians like celebrities,” he wrote.
Akash explained that because his father had never studied at IIT, there was no family pressure on him to continue a legacy. “His JEE failure handed me a strange gift too. Zero pressure. Fail, and I’d be like him, still doing fine. Crack it, and I’d be the first in my entire bloodline,” he wrote.
He described it as having ‘zero downside” and a “historic upside,” which allowed him to prepare without constantly worrying about failure. Akash also remembered that his father would often joke that he could never force his son to clear an exam that he himself had failed.
Eventually, Akash cleared IIT JEE in 2012 on his very first attempt. “I cracked JEE in 2012, in my first attempt. My dad lost it. Went almost crazy celebrating it,” he wrote.
The best thing that ever happened to me was my father failing the IIT JEE.In the summer of 1980, he hitchhiked 200 km with 10 rupees in his pocket to reach the exam center. He had learned what JEE was just 6 months ago and sat it cold because he was the smartest guy in his…
— Akash Sampurnanand Pandey (@late_bloomer_7) August 4, 2026
Many People Shared Similar Stories
The post received a warm response, with many users sharing stories from their own families. A person wrote, “Internet has changed everything, else forget about guiding students on analytical pattern solving, most were not even aware of JEE. Yr 1997. AI will place humans at another level. Some are going to be super rich and have & have not gap going to increase. Counties will struggle.”
Another user shared, “My dad got admission in REC Warangal and IIT Madras in the ‘60s. He had Rs 20 with him and he chose Warangal because that meant he could afford mess fees for two months while he cracked merit scholarship. I couldn’t crack IIT but this lesson stayed with me.”
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A team of writers at News18.com bring you stories on what’s creating the buzz on the Internet while exploring science, cricket, tech, gender, Bollywood, and culture.
August 05, 2026, 15:00 IST
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