Delhi-NCR topper on a high

The cell phone has not stopped ringing for Sajal Gupta, who is the joint topper in class 10 Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) examination in Delhi-NCR.

Riya Singh of Holy Angels School in Shahabad shared the top position by scoring 97.80 per cent.

The result comes as a surprise for Sajal. “I can’t believe that I topped in Delhi-NCR. I have no words to express my happiness,” said the teenager. “I used to study for three to four hours a day,” added Sajal, a student of St Paul’s Academy in Ghaziabad.

Perfect score

He got a perfect 100 in Computer Science, 99 marks in Mathematics, Science, Social Science, 94 marks in Hindi and 92 marks in English.

He wants to become an engineer. “I will take Maths in class 11,” Sajal said.  
But he added that there is no shortcut to hard work.

“It doesn’t matter for how many hours one studies. But one should study with full concentration. You have to work hard to get what you want,” he said.

He gives credit to his parents and teachers for his success. “My parents have been very patient with me and my teachers have been very supportive. They all have helped me achieve the milestone,” the 15-year-old said.

His father runs a coaching centre where he teaches Mathematics. “He has made us proud. We knew that he would do well in exams,” his father Sanjay Gupta said. “He has always been a good student.”

When Sajal is not studying, he likes spending time playing cricket and reading journals. “I like watching news and political debates,” he said.

The ICSE results were declared by the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examination (CISCE) in the city on Wednesday.

Girls on top

The pass percentage of girls in Delhi-National Capital Region is more than boys.  
While the pass percentage of girls in Delhi-NCR was recorded at 99.83 per cent, the pass percentage of boys stood at 99.50 per cent, CISCE Secretary Gerry Arathoon said in a statement.

A total of 2,608 students took the examination this year in Delhi-NCR.