Class X Haryana Board examinations: Daughter of farmer tops district with 93.8 per cent

“I want to study Medical (Science) in Class XI and be a doctor,” says Neha, giving a nervous smile. She is shy, hesitant to talk, but smiles a lot. “I used to study for around five hours daily, and did not take any tuition for preparation.”

Read | Govt schools in Haryana improve upon last year’s Board performance, but Panchkula remains among 4 worst-performing districts 

On her hobbies, Neha says, “I like watching English movies. On TV, my favourite programme is Ramayana.”

Principal Anju Grover is elated. “Our school is situated at the far end of Raipur Rani, which is not even connected by bus routes. The girl has given recognition to the school,” she says.

For the school, it was a double treat. In a district that ranks fourth from the bottom in the results with a pass percentage of only 39.9, the school’s own pass percentage was only 33.8 per cent. But it managed to get two students in the top two bracket. Sunaina, the second ranker, is from the same village as Neha, and she shares the position with Yogesh Kumar from Saarthak Government Integrated Model Senior School, Sector 12-A, Panchkula. Both the students scored 93.6 per cent.

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When teachers in Panchkula are asked why their students fare so badly in the Class X exam, they usually blame the “poor background” of the children, saying that their parents are uneducated, and that the children have to do housework to help their parents. But belying that claim, Panchkula’s toppers are all from humble backgrounds, and they also help their parents at home.

Sunaina’s father Gurnaam is a labourer while her mother Gurdevi is a housewife. With 97 in Mathematics and 91 in Science, she credits her Maths teacher Karnail Singh and Science teacher Meenakshi for her achievement. “They helped me a lot,” she says.

Whenever Sunaina was not studying, she used to help her mother in the household chores, which she also terms her hobby. “I used to study for four-five hours, and then helped my mother. I like cooking food,” she says with a confident smile. She also wants to study Medical (Science) and be a doctor.

The joint second topper, Yogesh, has decided to opt for non-medical and study electrical engineering. His father Bhopar Dass is a clerk in Haryana electricity board and mother Rita is a housewife. He was also the captain of school cricket team and led in various inter-school matches. “Sports to zaroori hai. Khelna padta hai (Sport is important),” he adds.

The school bagged four top positions. Close behind Yogesh are two other students of the same school, Yash Jain and Shivani Kanojia who scored 93.2 per cent each. Yash’s father Ramesh Jain works as a salesman, and Shivani’s father Ravi Kanojia is a washerman.

“He has made me proud,” says Yash’s father who works as a salesman in a kidswear shop in Sector 7. Yash’s mother Mamta Jain is a housewife. He has also opted for non-medical and wants to pursue Computer Engineering.

Shivani wants to study non-medical and appear for civil examinations to be an IAS officer. Her mother Aneeta Kanojia was diagnosed with cancer last year, Though Shivani had to take leave on several days to look after her ailing mother, she continued to study hard. She is among the three toppers from her school.