Two toppers with common goals

NEW DELHI: Two girls emerged as the toppers in Delhi government schools this year. Both Vishakha and Namita notched up 96.6% in Class XII exams. But the similarity doesn’t end there.
Vishakha was disappointed when she scored 9.4 CGPA in Class X exams. But it only strengthened her resolve to perform better. She feels without the guidance and efforts of her teachers, she couldn’t have come this far.Both the toppers study at different branches of Rajkiya Pratibha Vikas Vidyalaya.
For Namita’s father, Ramesh Kumar, who had fractured five ribs and his right hand in a recent accident, there could not have been a better gift. “I never thought I would live to see this day. It is the best moment of my life,” said Ramesh. He runs a small electronics repair shop and could not afford to get his daughter enrolled in a private school. In retrospect, he feels, it was a good thing for his daughter.
Interestingly, both the toppers have similar aspirations. “I want to pursue BA (honours) economics from Shri Ram College of Commerce. I want to sit for the civil service exams,” Vishakha said. Namita wants to pursue the same course and become an IAS officer.
For both the girls, their fathers are their source of inspiration. “My father taught me to set my goals high, so I could stand out from the crowd,” Vishaka said. Namita was encouraged by her father when she could not score well in her pre-board exams. Vishaka feels that students should not press the panic button when exams are around. “I watched cartoons and listened to music to de-stress myself.” Focused study with proper breaks is Namita’s mantra.