IITian says father's JEE failure was the best thing that ever happened to him

IIT BHU alumnus Akash Sampurnanand Pandey said his father's failed 1980 JEE attempt gave him the freedom to prepare without pressure and crack the exam in 2012. The viral X post has stirred discussion on parental expectations, ambition and how one generation's setback can shape another's success.Father failed JEE, IITian calls it the best thing that ever happened to him (Image: X@late_bloomer_7)What began as one man's biggest academic disappointment became his son's greatest advantage. In a viral post that has resonated with thousands, IIT BHU alumnus Akash Sampurnanand Pandey shared how his father's failed JEE attempt in 1980 gave him the freedom to dream without fear, ultimately leading him to crack the prestigious exam on his first attempt.New York-based software engineer and IIT BHU alumnus Akash Sampurnanand Pandey has gone viral after sharing why he believes "the best thing that ever happened" to him was his father failing the IIT Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) more than four decades ago.In a heartfelt post on X, Pandey recalled how his father travelled nearly 200 kilometres by hitchhiking with just Rs 10 in his pocket to appear for the IIT JEE in the summer of 1980. Having learned about the exam only six months earlier, he took the test because he was considered the brightest student in his village.The result, however, was crushing. "Failed. Spectacularly. Couldn't crack a single question," Pandey wrote, recalling his father's own words. 'ZERO PRESSURE, HISTORIC UPSIDE'Despite the setback, his father never carried any resentment. Instead, he spoke of IIT graduates with admiration throughout Pandey's childhood. That failure, Pandey said, unexpectedly shaped his own journey."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. Zero downside. Historic upside. I got the obsession without the expectations," he wrote. Pandey added that his father often reminded him he could never pressure his son to clear an exam that he himself had failed. The absence of expectations allowed him to prepare without fear.A MOMENT OF TRIUMPHPandey eventually cracked the IIT JEE on his first attempt in 2012, a moment that sparked emotional celebrations at home."My dad lost it. Went almost crazy celebrating it," he recalled.Looking back, Pandey wondered how different his life might have been had his father cleared the exam in 1980. His story has since resonated with thousands online, serving as a poignant reminder that not every failure ends with disappointment. Sometimes, one generation's setback quietly lays the foundation for the next generation's greatest success.- EndsPublished By: Apoorva AnandPublished On: Aug 5, 2026 13:02 IST