On June 10, 2026, Vijayapura district celebrated a historic achievement when Gangadhar Muttagi, a student from Markabbinahalli in Basavan Bagewadi taluk, secured an extraordinary 0.5 rank in the Veterinary stream and 3.5 rank in the Agriculture stream of the K-CET exam. His success has placed him among the top scorers in Karnataka.
We saw villagers gathering to honor him, and our sources confirmed that his family owns just one acre of farmland. His father works as a daily laborer, earning less than ₹12,000 a month to support the household.
Despite these hardships, Gangadhar’s determination never wavered, even when technical delays pushed back the announcement of results.
Markabbinahalli is a small village with a population of nearly 2,300 people, according to the 2021 census. The literacy rate stands at 68%, lower than the state average of 76%.
ಕೆ-ಸಿಇಟಿ ಪರೀಕ್ಷೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಐತಿಹಾಸಿಕ ಸಾಧನೆ ಮಾಡಿರುವ ವಿಜಯಪುರ ಜಿಲ್ಲೆಯ ಬಸವನ ಬಾಗೇವಾಡಿ ತಾಲ್ಲೂಕಿನ ಮಾರ್ಕಬ್ಬಿನಹಳ್ಳಿಯ ಪ್ರತಿಭಾವಂತ ವಿದ್ಯಾರ್ಥಿ ಗಂಗಾಧರ ಮುತ್ತಗಿ ಅವರಿಗೆ ಹೃತ್ಪೂರ್ವಕ ಅಭಿನಂದನೆಗಳು.
ಒಂದು ಎಕರೆ ಜಮೀನು ಹೊಂದಿರುವ ರೈತ ಕುಟುಂಬದ ಮಗನಾಗಿ, ಪ್ರತಿಕೂಲ ಪರಿಸ್ಥಿತಿಗಳ ನಡುವೆಯೂ ಕೆ-ಸಿಇಟಿ ಪರೀಕ್ಷೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಐತಿಹಾಸಿಕ… pic.twitter.com/UnlRNrgNFJ
— M B Patil (@MBPatil) June 11, 2026
Gangadhar studied at the Government PU College in Basavan Bagewadi, where fewer than 5% of students typically secure ranks below 1000 in K-CET. His achievement is therefore a rare milestone for the region.
According to Karnataka Examination Authority data, nearly 2,00,000 students appeared for K-CET 2026. Out of them, only 12 students managed to secure ranks below 5 in specialized streams. Gangadhar’s performance places him in the top 0.006% of candidates statewide.
Deccan Herald reported that his achievement has already inspired rural students across the state.
“I trusted my preparation and never lost hope,” Gangadhar told reporters after the results. His words reflect the resilience of thousands of rural students who dream of breaking barriers.
Our sources confirmed that his village celebrated with traditional drums and sweets. Teachers from his school said his story will be shared in classrooms as motivation.
Gangadhar’s journey proves that talent, when combined with perseverance, can overcome economic hardship.
