For the fourth year in a row, the CBSE all-India topper is a Delhi student. Sukriti Gupta has scored 99.4 per cent in her Class 12 board exams, whose results were out on Saturday. Ms Gupta scored a perfect 100 in physics and chemistry and 99 each in mathematics, English and Computer Science.
The All-India CBSE topper, who is from Montfort School in Ashok Vihar, scored 497 marks out of 500. The second and the third all-India positions were secured by Palak Goel and Somy Uppal, both from Haryana.
Speaking to this newspaper Ms Gupta said, “I am feeling very happy. I told my mother just a night before that she should stop worrying as I would top the exam. But when I actually did, it was unexpected. But I would like to say that I should not be defined by my marks because I, as a person, am beyond my marks. I always feel that one should never have expectations but hope and leave everything else to God.”
The 2016 CBSE topper, who aims to become an engineer, would be giving her JEE Advanced exam on Sunday followed by other competitive exams this year. “I might go for IIT Delhi, but I have not yet decided which field I would chose. Since my elder sister is already doing engineering from Delhi Technological University (DTU), so my second option will be DTU,” she said.
Ms Gupta, who is also a National Talent Search Exam (NTSE) scholar, is the daughter of Rakesh Gupta, an IAS officer. Sending a message out to students who would be preparing for board exams next year, she said, “Understanding of the subject is necessary. While studying make your goals clear. If you have made up your mind to become a topper, then your hard work will make you achieve your goal”.
Palak Goel, who secured the second position, wants to become an IAS officer, though at present her focus is on becoming an engineer by cracking the IIT. A student of Tagore Vanasthali Public School, Pehowa, near Kurukshetra in Haryana, she scored 496 out of 500 marks. Palak had non-medical subjects and scored 100 per cent in physics 99 in chemistry.
In the differently-abled category, Mudita Jagota from DAV Public School, Faridabad, scored 485 out of 500, becoming the overall topper in that category. Siddhartha Biswas of Kendriya Vidyalaya, Delhi, bagged the second position followed by Rakshit Malik from Amity International School, Noida, who came third. They have scored 484 and 482 marks respectively
Jagota, a student of DAV Public School, said, “Dedication and will power are key to my success. Whenever we do hardwork, there will be results. My parents taught that to me,” she said.
She plans to pursue Psychology or English honors in future.
Visually impaired Rakshit, who aspires to become a lecturer or join the Indian Foreign Services, said, “such a result is not that difficult. If you have your parents and teachers with you, then nothing is difficult. I never took any coaching classes, I just had my mother and teachers”.
Girls once again outperformed boys with a pass percentage of 88.58 per cent. Boys recorded a pass percentage of 78.85 per cent.
Meanwhile, government schools have fared better than private schools in the Class 12 examinations.
The Central government-run Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) school students have scored a pass percentage of 95.43 per cent, much above the national average of 83.05 while the pupils of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNV), which are established in rural areas, have done even better with with a pass percentage of 96.73. The pass percentage of over 1,000 KVS schools is 95.43 per cent, an improvement over the previous year's figure of 94.72 per cent.
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal took to Twitter saying, “am so happy that Delhi govt school students have done so well”. He also congratulated Sukriti Gupta, who is the all-India topper with 99.4 per cent marks.
Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia also tweeted, “Delhi govt schools performed better than private schools. Well done. Proud of my team.”
