16-year-old UP girl cracks National Math Olympiad, Alakh Pandey applauds online learning

Alakh Pandey is the CEO of PhysicsWallah.

From a small village in Uttar Pradesh’s Bhadohi district to the prestigious National Mathematics Olympiad, 16-year-old Niyanshi’s journey is a testament to perseverance and the transformative power of online education. Among 900 students selected nationwide for the Olympiad, Niyanshi credits her success to free online resources.

Her story was highlighted during a visit by PhysicsWallah founder Alakh Pandey to her government school in Sarohi village. Addressing students, Pandey shared her achievement, saying, “Niyanshi is from your village and has cleared one of India’s toughest math exams. She will tell you herself how she did it.” Niyanshi’s simple reply, “Online,” was met with applause.

Inspired by her dedication, Pandey announced free access to PhysicsWallah’s online study materials for all students in classes 9 to 12 at the school. “For the next four years, your education will be covered through online resources, thanks to Niyanshi. Next time, it could be one of you inspiring others,” he said.

The initiative has struck a chord with millions, as the video of the event garnered 1.5 million views and 100,000 likes.

In a viral clip shared by her family, Niyanshi was seen studying at Mirzapur railway station, undeterred by a delayed train. Her routine—studying from 1:30 AM to 7:00 AM—captivated viewers, with the video amassing 934,000 views and 51,000 likes.

Her mother expressed pride despite financial challenges. “We couldn’t afford to enroll her in an English medium school, yet she made it this far,” she said. In response, Pandey remarked, “Those who are determined to succeed always find a way.”

To support her further, Pandey gifted Niyanshi a laptop and encouraged her to continue her studies. Calling her the “Ramanujan of this generation,” he lauded her brilliance and determination. The moment was captured in another video, which has since garnered 2.7 million views and 145,000 likes.

In a separate video, Pandey urged government school students to leverage free online resources provided not only by PhysicsWallah but also by platforms like Unacademy, Vedantu, and Career Will. “We may be different platforms, but our mission is the same—quality education for everyone,” he said.

The video, which has drawn 8.6 million views and 680,000 likes, also attracted responses from Unacademy, Vedantu, and Indian rapper Badshah, all praising the collaborative effort to make education accessible.