These CBSE Class 10 toppers show that there is no shortcut to success

Students from 17,567 schools across the country and abroad appeared for the Board examinations at 4,460 centres; toppers reveal their recipe for success: from self-study to daily targets. 

The wait of over sixteen lakh students finally ended, as the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Class 10 board exam results were announced on May 29.

The overall pass percentage was 86.70 percent against 2015’s 99.03 percent. The dip in percentage is credited to change in the CBSE evaluation procedure. Between 2007 and 2017 the board followed the Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE); under this, schools were responsible for 80 percent assessment while the remaining was with CBSE. This reportedly led to widespread manipulation of scores. So from this year CBSE scrapped the CCE system and reintroduced the board exams.

The first position is jointly shared by four students, who have secured 499 marks out of 500 — Prakhar Mittal of DPS Gurgaon, Rimzhim Agarwal of RP Public School, Bijnor; Nandini Garg of Scottish International School, Shamli; and Sreelakshmi G from Bhavan’s Vidyalayasa, Cochin.

This year, girls shine with a pass percentage of 88.67 percentage while boys trail with a margin of 3.35 percentage. The regions with the highest pass percentages are Thiruvananthapuram with 99.60 percent, Chennai with 97.37 percent, and Ajmer with 91.86 percent.

Government-run Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya emerged as best performing school across the country in the examinations, with a pass percentage of 97.31 percent, followed by Kendriya Vidyalaya with 95.96 percent and private schools with 89.49 percent.

The schools under the Central Tibetan Schools Administration (CTSA) recorded a pass percentage of 86.43, while the pass percentage in government-aided schools was 73.46. Almost 1,31,493 candidates secured 90 per cent marks and above while 27,426 candidates secured 95 per cent marks and above. However 1,86,067 candidates got compartment, having failed to secure at least 33 percent passing marks in each of the five subjects, including the internals and practicals.

As many as 3,760 differently-abled students appeared in the examination; 3,480 of them successfully qualified, marking the overall pass percentage for the differently abled category as 92.55 percent.

Over 135 candidates in the differently-abled category secured 90 per cent marks and above, while 21 of them secured 95 per cent marks and above.

We take a closer look at the students who secured top ranks in the board examinations.

Prakhar Mittal

Gurugram’s Prakhar Mittal lost one mark in French, losing the golden 500 mark. He may have scored 99.8 percent, but Prakhar says that he expected “90 percent only”.

In an interview with IndiaTodayEducation, he said, “I was consistent throughout the board examination. I did not take it as a burden. You don't have to study for hours. Just be regular and revise all those topics you feel are difficult.”

While he never stopped his extracurricular activities, he attended coaching classes for FIITJEE. His daily routine would include a study period of at least four to five hours; this was followed by a break, after which he resumed studying for another three hours.

Prakhar is preparing for engineering presently.

Nandini Garg

A student of Scottish International School, Shamli, Nandini says that while she was hoping for a good result she never expected to be a national topper.

She credits her supportive school staff and “self-study” for her achievements. In an interview to India Today Education, she said, “Students who will appear for CBSE Class 10 exam the next year should prepare by keeping the mind stress-free.”

An ecstatic Rajeev Garg, Nandini’s father, said, “I am proud of my daughter. She has always been focused and wants to become an IAS officer in the future. She has an inquisitive nature, and always wants to learn new things.”

Praising her balanced approach towards academics and other extracurricular activities, Ashu Tyagi, the Principal of the Shamli school, lauded Nandini’s achievement.

Rimzhim Agarwal

A student of RP Public School, Bijnor, located at the UP Border in Kotdwar, Uttarakhand, Rimzhim lost out on the perfect 500 as she scored 99 in Mathematics. She secured 100 marks in science, Hindi, English and IT.

Rimzhim said she was expecting this “kind of result” since she had given her best and had good expectations for her scores. Through the year, she refrained from joining any tuition classes and opted for self-study at home.

Rimzhim credits her father Neeraj Agarwal, who runs a jewellery business in Kotdwar, for the “brilliant exam result”. She hopes to pursue science in her future studies.

Sreelakshmi G

A student of Bhavan’s Varuna Vidyalaya, Ernakulam district, Sreelakshmi secured 99.8 percent. The young girl, who believes that there is no shortcut to achieving success, said that she knew she had done well in her exams, but she never expected this result.

In an interview with India Today Education, she said, “One needs to study from Day 1. Never rely on tomorrow and study every day. This was my main motto and this is how I motivated myself throughout the year. My school teachers were very helpful as they taught me everything with patience. I gave regular mock tests during the days leading up to my board exams.”

She, too, hopes to pursue science in Class 11 and wants to become a doctor.

Anushka Panda

A student of Suncity School, Sector 54, Gurugram, Anushka scored 97.8 percent marks.

The fourteen-year-old, who suffers from spinal muscular atrophy, a genetic disease that robs people of physical strength by affecting the motor nerve cells in the spinal cord and hindering the ability to walk, was determined not to let her injury or any other obstacle overpower her.

“I was consistent in my preparation from Day 1 itself. I would like to thank my school, which has been extremely supportive. Since I am a special child, my school ensured that I was provided with special infrastructure to write my examination," the CBSE topper said in an interview to India Today.

She enjoys chess and hopes to become a software engineer in future.

Sanya Gandhi

A student of Uttam School, Ghaziabad, Sanya scored 489 marks, with 97.8 percentage, in the differently abled category. Sanya, who is visually impaired, enjoys singing and is an only child.

“I expected to get 95 percentage but wasn’t expecting to top the boards. I just wanted to get above 95 in every subject. I set daily targets and accomplished them every day. In almost everything I accomplished 99.8 percent target; I did not delay the things,” Sanya recalls.

She has opted for the humanities stream for further studies, with a focus on psychology and political science. Sanya hopes to become an IAS officer in future.

Here’s wishing these CBSE toppers all the best.