Daijiworld Media Network – Mumbai (MS)

Mumbai, May 23: Chitraang Murdia, who topped the IIT-JEE examinations in 2014 with AIR 1, surprised everyone by quitting IIT Bombay within a year to follow his passion.

After topping the IIT-JEE, Murdia joined IIT Bombay to study computer science. However, after a year, he left IIT Bombay and flew to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to study his favourite subject, physics.

Murdia says that everyone, including his family and friends, was shocked by his decision to quit IIT Bombay. Many also ridiculed him, saying that he was still a kid and did not know how to make important decisions in life. People said that he could earn in lakhs after graduating from IIT.

Chitraang defended his decision and said, “Many students who want to pursue further education in maths and physics end up opting for computer science due to family pressure. I am sure that my decision to quit IIT Bombay to pursue my dream will inspire many such students who want to follow their interests in life rather than those of their parents or friends.”

According to Murdia's LinkedIn profile, he graduated in physics from MIT in 2018 and completed his PhD in 2023 from the University of California, Berkeley.