The 625 club: Discipline drives SSLC toppers in Karnataka

Bengaluru: From big cities to small towns, Karnataka's seven SSLC toppers share a common thread — discipline, consistency, and strong family and teacher support. Their stories, spanning diverse backgrounds, underline how focus, clear goals, and steady effort can overcome constraints and turn ambition into exceptional academic success.Dhanush Sudhir Mysore, Poorna Prajna Education Centre (Sadashivanagar, Bengaluru)Consistent revision, focused study habits, and an unusual method of learning by teaching peers helped Dhanush Sudhir Mysore secure a perfect score of 625/625 in the SSLC examinations. Dhanush, who emerged as the sole topper from Bengaluru, attributed his success to regularly revising lessons taught in class rather than relying on last-minute preparation. "I mostly studied in school and at tuition. At home, I didn't spend very long hours, but whenever I studied, I made sure I was fully concentrating," he said.Dhanush credits a significant part of his performance to helping classmates with their studies. Explaining concepts to others reinforced his own understanding and retention. "Teaching my friends helped me remember a lot more from the syllabus," he noted.Dhanush now plans to pursue science stream with computer science and aims to crack the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) to study engineering. Beyond academics, he maintains a range of interests, including table tennis, chess, and playing the keyboard.His father Sudhir S Mysore works as a software professional. "Being from a middle-class family, we decided that it would be best for our son to study in a state board school like us instead of international schools with ICSE or CBSE syllabus. The curriculum of the Karnataka board has improved a lot," he said, adding that the couple was particular about the company their son would be around at school. "Before the exams, I advised Dhanush to think from the evaluator's perspective so that his answers were clear and easy to evaluate. As parents, we did not have to force him to study as he was quite independent. In fact, we asked him to take regular breaks," he added.Bharath G, Sri Vidyalakshmi English-Medium High School (Davanagere)As a kid from a small village with big dreams, Bharath's journey is the kind that turns heads across the state. Hailing from Kanivebilachi in Channagiri taluk, he grew up with the single ambition of becoming a doctor and helping those struggling to access healthcare. Every day, Bharath travelled to Vidyalakshmi School in nearby Kabbal, balancing studies with the realities of a modest life. His father, Girish, a small farmer and daily-wage labourer, and his mother, Shilpa, stood firm behind him despite financial challenges, and their belief paid off. Bharath didn't just pass, he topped the SSLC exam, surpassing all expectations. "He has been studying in our school from class one... all of us are proud of him," said headmistress Lakshmidevi AN.Sukhadeva, BVR English-Medium High School (Raichur)By scoring 625/625 in SSLC, Sukhadeva has turned out to be a celebrity of sorts in the Kalyana Karnataka region. A student of BVR High School in Manvi town, his mother Chandrakala is a Kannada teacher at a govt high school while his father, Parashuram, works as a guest lecturer at a private college. Celebrations broke out at the school and in the locality after the results were announced, with teachers and district in-charge minister NS Boseraju, along with the general public, congratulating and honouring the boy. Family support is said to have played a key role in his achievement.Preetham G Poojary, Mother Theresa Memorial School (Udupi)Setting small, consistent goals and meeting them without fail helped Preetham turn ambition into achievement, securing a perfect score of 625 in the SSLC exam. Son of Ganapathi Poojary, a private bus conductor, and Nagaratna, a homemaker, he credits his success to a structured approach to studies and disciplined execution of daily, weekly, and monthly targets. "I was aiming for a perfect score, but I was also tense about whether I would achieve it. I was confident of scoring above 620, but I had doubts because of my handwriting," Preetham told TOI. He recalled how his Kannada teacher, Vaishali, had been advising him since class 7 to improve his handwriting. "I worked on it but still felt that if I lost marks, it might be because of my handwriting," he said. On the academic front, Preetham said he made it a point to stay attentive in class and clarify doubts immediately, either during or after lessons. "Once home, I would revise whatever was taught in class every day," he said.Prarthana Nagappa Biradar Patil, Govt High School–Katageri (Belagavi)Not many kids of teachers emerge toppers, but Prarthana is an exception. Her father is a teacher at the same village school where she studied. "It was my wish to study in Kannada medium and get a rank, and now it has come true. My interest in reading, studying paid off. I want to become a doctor," she said. School headmaster GA Khot said her achievement comes as a shot in the arm for Kannada schools on the border. The school had also rolled out a new concept called ‘Oduva Mane' (reading house), undertaken with the aim of creating an environment conducive to the growth of rank achievers in Chikkodi educational district.Brunda M Tapse, St Mary's High School (Chikkamagaluru)The results did not come as a surprise here, for Brunda's family was confident she would emerge a topper. "I expected the result and prepared so as to get full marks," she said. Thanking her parents, Manjunath Tapse and Harshini, and teachers, Brunda said she spent around seven hours a day studying. She gave equal importance to all subjects and never neglected any one. In addition, she would set goals every day and ensure that all the topics were revised. She wants to continue in the science stream and is planning to pursue higher studies in engineering. Saujanya Basavaraj Kandakur, Oxford English-Medium School-Nagarabetta, (Vijayapura)Saujanya hails from Hunagund town in the neighbouring Bagalkot district and is the daughter of Basavaraj Kandakur, a retired govt school teacher, and Girija Kotagi, also a teacher. "I was expecting to top the state. I studied regularly during the hostel's daily study hours along with my classmates. The guidance of my teachers and the encouragement from my parents helped me achieve this," said Saujanya, who aspires to be a doctor.
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