:sl:
A Manipuri boy
Mohammad Ismat scored the highest marks in the All India Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (
AISSCE) conducted by the CBSE, whose results were declared nationwide on Monday. Ishmat, a student of Imphal's Zenith Academy, scored 495 out of 500 marks.
Though there is no concept of toppers in the CBSE class XII examinations, KK Choudhury regional officer CBSE (northeast region) confirmed that this is the first time a student from the northeast has scored highest in all India level. "It is indeed great. We hope this is the beginning and we get more such brilliant students from the region every year," he said.
Ismat has got 100 marks each in mathematics, chemistry and fine arts while he scored 98 in English and 97 in physics. In his additional subject home sciences he scored 100 marks.
A student of Zenith Academy, Imphal, Ishmat has always been a brilliant student. As the news of Ishmat scoring the highest, the school went into a celebration mode. His success came despite academic calendar every year is disrupted due to bandhs and blockades.
Hailing from a poor Manipuri Muslim family in Lilong Haoreibi village in Manipur's Thoubal district, Ismat's father Md Bashirur Rahman, a government primary school teacher, had struggled to ensure Ismat a good education.
Ismat began his primary education at a local school in Lilong before switching over to
Kendriya Vidyalaya, Imphal up to class VIII. He then joined Sainik School Imphal from where he scored 94.2 percent in class X CBSE examination. But, he could not continue in Sainik School as his parent could afford the fees.
"After passing class X with high marks I thought of studying in the best school in Imphal. But I could not due to the acute financial difficulties faced by my family. All is not lost when S M Singh, the management secretary of
Zenith Academy accepted my request to study in the school without charging much fees. With his guidance, I have come out with flying colours," Ismat said.
"Impossible is not in my mind and I have the strong conviction that everything is possible when a man determined to do what mankind can do. And this is the only tool for me to top in this national level examination," a jubilant Ismat told TOI minutes after the results were declared.