Inside the Kejriwal Family’s Journey of Academic Excellence
Not every political family in India has a deep-rooted legacy in engineering. Arvind Kejriwal, the man behind the Aam Aadmi Party and former Delhi Chief Minister, is proud of one thing above politics—his family’s relentless pursuit of academic excellence. Kejriwal isn’t just a bureaucrat-turned-politician; he’s an IIT Kharagpur graduate, having aced the notoriously tough B.Tech. in Mechanical Engineering. What’s remarkable is how his two kids, Pulkit Kejriwal and Harshita Kejriwal, have taken that legacy to heart, carving out their own impressive paths at India’s top engineering colleges.
Pulkit, Kejriwal’s son, shot to the top with a whopping 96.4% in his CBSE Class 12 boards. That’s no easy feat with today’s competition, and from there, the leap to IIT seems almost natural—except, it never is. When Pulkit entered IIT, he joined side by side with Vijay Kumar, the tailor’s son who also cracked the tough entrance thanks to Delhi government’s free coaching help. That little fact says a lot about the family’s approach to education: merit and opportunity, not just privilege. Pulkit’s route shows how strong academic backgrounds and smart public initiatives can change lives, whether you’re the CM’s child or a tailor’s.
Then there’s Harshita, Kejriwal’s daughter, who made headlines for her own reason. In 2014, during a time when her father was behind bars—locked up over a protest—Harshita secured her spot at IIT Delhi. That’s pressure not every kid can handle, let alone in the chaos of public and political scrutiny. She didn’t just graduate; she went on to land a position with the prestigious Boston Consulting Group, one of the biggest global consulting firms.
The Kejriwal household isn’t just about sharp minds. There’s also grit and a stubborn refusal to settle. Arvind Kejriwal himself cracked both the IIT-JEE and UPSC Civil Services, two of the toughest exams in the country. The message he’s sending his children—and honestly, every kid watching—is that with persistence and focus, you can defy expectations. No free passes, just results earned the hard way.
Engineering Success: More Than Just a Degree
It’s easy to list degrees and percentages, but the bigger story here is what it means for so many Indian families dreaming about the IIT graduates badge. IITs are tough to crack—with only a small percentage making it through the entrance every year. For both Pulkit and Harshita to get in, it reflects a home environment deeply wired for hard work, not just natural talent. When you add in stories like Pulkit’s classmate Vijay Kumar, the narrative becomes less about privilege and more about opportunity for all.
The choices the Kejriwal siblings have made since IIT tell you a lot about shifting aspirations among India’s young engineers. Harshita, for example, picked consulting over the tech or research paths many IITians take, showing how education here can open doors beyond pure engineering. The reach of an IIT education can go from social impact—like the programs their father championed—to boardrooms in global companies.
Not many political leaders in India have such direct and recent connections to educational rigor at the highest level. With Arvind Kejriwal’s kids carrying the torch, the family stands out in India’s political circles as one where academic achievement isn’t just a talking point for the campaign trail—it's a daily reality. For countless students prepping for board exams or burning the midnight oil for IIT-JEE, the Kejriwals are living proof that excellence can be a family tradition, no matter the noise of politics around you.