Abhiraj Pratap Singh Rathod: How 1 Underestimated Boy Brilliantly Conquered India’s Most Prestigious Youth Parliament Stage

Abhiraj Pratap Singh Rathod: From a School Stage He Was Denied to 9 Million Views: A Story of Perseverance, Purpose, and Power

Abhiraj Pratap Singh Rathod is a name that millions of Indians have now heard. But before the viral speech, before the 9 million views, and before standing before Rajasthan’s Deputy Chief Minister, Abhiraj Pratap Singh Rathod was just a boy who was asked to step off a stage because a teacher did not believe he was capable of standing on it. That moment, painful as it was, became the seed of everything extraordinary that followed.

A Beginning Shaped by Underestimation

Abhiraj Pratap Singh Rathod was born on 10 July 2006 in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh. His father, Ashish Pratap Singh Rathod, is a BJP State Executive Committee Member. While many assumed that his journey would be shaped by his family’s background in public service, Abhiraj Pratap Singh Rathod chose from the very beginning to build his own identity through perseverance, discipline, and an unwavering belief in himself that the world around him was slow to share.

From an early age, life tested Abhiraj Pratap Singh Rathod in ways that shaped his character more than any privilege ever could. Throughout his school years, he was never considered among the academically promising students. Teachers often underestimated him. He was rarely chosen for important responsibilities. And many believed he simply lacked the potential to achieve anything extraordinary.

The Stage He Was Denied

One incident remained etched in the memory of Abhiraj Pratap Singh Rathod long after the school bell stopped ringing.

During a school assembly, he was selected to present the Word of the Day. Moments before he could begin, a teacher asked him to step down from the stage, believing he was not capable enough to represent the school. For a young child, it was heartbreaking. It was the kind of public dismissal that breaks some people permanently.

For Abhiraj Pratap Singh Rathod, it became fuel.

Little did anyone know that the stage he was once denied would one day become the foundation of his biggest achievements.

Growing Up in the Shadows

When Abhiraj Pratap Singh Rathod was in Class 2, his younger brother was born. As the family’s attention naturally shifted towards the newborn, he gradually learned to become independent. Whether among relatives, friends, or classmates, he often found himself underestimated. Physically, he was much smaller and weaker than most of his peers and was frequently teased because of it, which further affected his confidence.

These were not small setbacks. They were the kind of accumulated dismissals that quietly shape a person’s sense of self. But Abhiraj Pratap Singh Rathod was quietly gathering something from every one of them, a resolve that would eventually prove stronger than every opinion that had ever been offered about his potential.

The Fitness Transformation

Determined to change his circumstances, Abhiraj Pratap Singh Rathod began his fitness journey at the age of 17. Through discipline and consistency, he transformed not only his physique but also his mindset. The confidence he gained through fitness became the turning point of his life. It gave him the courage to believe in his own abilities and pursue opportunities he had once been too afraid to chase.

That transformation was not just physical. It was the moment Abhiraj Pratap Singh Rathod stopped waiting for the world to see him differently and started showing the world a different version of himself entirely.

Passion for Fashion and Modelling

Apart from fitness, Abhiraj Pratap Singh Rathod had always been deeply passionate about fashion and modelling. A few opportunities came his way, but circumstances prevented him from pursuing them at the time. Instead of allowing those setbacks to discourage him, he chose to treat every missed opportunity as preparation for something greater, a mindset that would serve him well in every chapter that followed.

Honouring a Grandfather’s Dream

In 2024, after the passing of his grandfather, whose dream was to see him study law at a National Law University, Abhiraj Pratap Singh Rathod made a decision that would define the next phase of his life. He dedicated himself to preparing for the Common Law Admission Test, one of India’s most competitive entrance examinations.

Through relentless hard work, Abhiraj Pratap Singh Rathod cleared CLAT in his very first attempt and secured admission to Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law in Patiala. It was a victory that belonged not just to him but to the grandfather who never stopped believing in the boy that others had so often dismissed.

Rejection, Resilience, and the Road to Youth Parliament

During the same period, Abhiraj Pratap Singh Rathod discovered a passion for public speaking and Youth Parliament. His early journey in this space was filled with rejection. Applications were unsuccessful. Competitions were missed. Opportunities repeatedly slipped away.

He won the district round of the Viksit Bharat Youth Parliament and qualified for the state level but was unable to participate because the event coincided with his examinations. It was another opportunity lost. But Abhiraj Pratap Singh Rathod has never treated a closed door as a destination. For him, every closed door has always been a detour toward something better.

Soon after, he was selected for the National Youth Parliament in Nagpur, where his performance received appreciation and videos of his speeches began circulating across social media, giving him his first real taste of recognition as a young public speaker.

The Speech That Reached 9 Million People

The defining chapter of the Abhiraj Pratap Singh Rathod journey came in 2026, when he participated in the National Youth Parliament in Jaipur, one of the country’s most prestigious Youth Parliament competitions.

Speaking before Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari, he delivered a speech on women’s rights and women’s reservation with confidence, conviction, and clarity that silenced every doubt anyone had ever expressed about his ability to hold a stage. His performance earned widespread appreciation. After the speech was shared on Instagram, it went viral, crossing 9 million views and continuing to grow. Today, it stands among the most-viewed public speaking videos by an Indian youth creator on Instagram, inspiring millions of viewers across the country.

The same boy who was once asked to step down from a school stage because he was considered incapable had stood before the Deputy Chief Minister of Rajasthan and had his words reach millions. Every milestone in the Abhiraj Pratap Singh Rathod journey was earned, not gifted, through perseverance, discipline, and an unwavering belief in himself.

What the Journey Teaches Us

The child who was once overlooked in classrooms, underestimated by teachers, and doubted by those around him went on to create every opportunity through his own hard work. What began with rejection, missed chances, and countless setbacks ultimately led to winning one of the country’s most prestigious National Youth Parliament competitions and inspiring millions through his voice.

Today, alongside pursuing law at Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law in Patiala, Abhiraj Pratap Singh Rathod continues to build his identity as a public speaker, content creator, and youth voice that an entire generation is beginning to look up to.

His journey stands as a testament to the fact that success is not determined by how others see you, but by the courage to keep believing in yourself when no one else does. The story of Abhiraj Pratap Singh Rathod is a reminder that the people who are underestimated the most often go on to achieve the extraordinary, not because life was easy, but because they refused to give up.