With an overall score of 497 out of 500 in her CBSE class 10 exams, Taranpreet Kaur, a  student of Broadway Public School at Manal village of the Barnala district in Punjab is the state topper. She is also the all-India third rank holder. Daughter of a farmer, Taranpreet's marks have come as a huge inspiration to the state and the family.

Taranpreet has opted to pursue humanities for her undergraduate studies with maths, political science and economics as the combination, The Indian Express reported. She says,

It is unbelievable. Though I was sure of getting 95 plus, more than 99 percent is a dream come true for me. My paternal uncle, who shifted to Canada about six months back, used to motivate me often. Apart from this, my teachers used to guide me wherever I needed them. I did self-study as it is not easy to get a tuition teacher in a village. Also, I never felt the need for the same.

Taranpreet's father is a farmer and owns around 16 acres of land. Speaking about her performance, he said,

I had no idea what Taranpreet was studying, though I was always concerned she should get a good education. She is free to follow her dreams the way she likes.

Taran dreams of preparing for the UPSC exams, and wishes to be an IAS Officer, said a post by Nyoooz.

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

The other toppers from the state are Sonepat’s Shrestha Sharma, who secured second place in the CBSE’s Class 10 result, and Pulkita Puri and Gautam Jain, who scored 98.6 percent each.

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