Twenty-one students, including two girls, have cleared the prestigious IIT-JEE (Advanced) from Gaya this year.

Among the successful students, 10 are from Manpur Patwa Toli, a business hub where most people are engaged in cotton weaving.

Of the 21 students, four are from Magadh Super 30, which is being run under the guidance of Bihar director-general of police (DGP) Abhayanand. One of the four students, Shubham Kumar, is the son of a rickshaw puller.

A resident of Shankar Bigha under Wazirganj block, Shubham, said: “I still can’t believe that I have cracked such a tough examination.”