16-year-old Shazia Sultan of DAV NIT, Adityapur made the steel city proud by emerging at the top by scoring 99.20 per cent marks in CBSE Class X examination, results of which were declared on Tuesday.

Shazia wants to serve people by becoming a doctor. She wants to pursue medical education by studying Biosciences.

"I am thankful to my teachers who have always provided me with online help in my studies as and when required in the prevailing pandemic, " she said over phone.

Shazia, who stays with her grandparents at Jugsalai, scored 496 out of 500 including 100 in English, 100 in Hindi, 100 in Social Studies, 99 in Science and 97 in Mathematics.

The second position was bagged by Rupali of the same school who scored 99 per cent.

Forty students of the batch scored 90 per cent and above, while 114 students secured 75 per cent and above.

This year’s board examinations, originally scheduled to be held in May and June, were cancelled due to the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic.

Thus, the marks were calculated on the basis of internal assessments, including unit tests, mid terms and pre-board exams.

Students of Bistupur-based Jusco School South Park also proved their merit by scoring 100 per cent pass percent.

A total of 122 students comprised the batch for 2021.

Twenty-six students of the school scored 90 per cent and above, while 27 students achieved a score between 80 – 89 per cent.

Principal of Jusco School South Park Mili Sinha said, “It gives me immense pleasure to report the stupendous result of the sixth batch of students of the school. We secured a cent per cent result. I thank the school management, teachers and parents for their constant support and motivation. I congratulate the students and parents for their stupendous performance and wish them all the best for their future.”

Students of DBMS Kadma High School too achieved 100 per cent result.

Of 177 students, 15 secured 90 per cent and above, 30 students secured 80 per cent and above, and the rest of the students secured 70 per cent and above.

Gurpreet Bhambra, principal of DBMS Kadma High School congratulated the students on their excellent performance and wished them all the best in their future endeavours.

Several other CBSE schools including DAV, Bistupur, St. Mary's English High School and Sheyn International School also registered cent per cent results.

"The pandemic resulted in a shift from classroom learning to digital learning. Hence, we focussed on developing strategies to improve academic achievement which was reflected in the performance of our students in the board examinations. Eagerly taking up the academic challenges the teachers and students worked hard throughout the year for a good performance, "said Pushpa Bhalla, principal of Sheyn International School.