In an exemplary display of resilience and academic excellence, several students from humble backgrounds in Jalandhar have made an impressive mark in the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) Class XII examinations, the results of which were declared on Wednesday.
Many of the district’s top achievers are children of daily wagers, who overcame financial hardships through consistent hard work and determination.
Leading the district was Sharan Rani, a commerce student of Bliss Public School, who secured 487 marks out of 500, scoring 97.40 per cent. She also secured the 14th position in the state merit list.
Sharan is the daughter of a single mother, Shweta Sharma, who works as a purchase manager at a local firm near Nehru Garden to support her children.
Joining her among the district’s top rankers is Tirath Kaur, a commerce student of Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Bara Pind, who also secured the first position in Jalandhar. Her father works as a driver while her mother is a tailor. Like Sharan, Tirath too dreams of pursuing CA.
The results also highlighted the stories of students balancing academics with financial responsibilities at a young age.
Among them was Gurpreet Singh, a vocational stream student of School of Eminence, Kartarpur, who secured the second position in Jalandhar and 15th in the state merit list. He scored 486 marks out of 500, securing 97.20 percent.
Son of a labourer, Gurpreet works as an electrician after school hours to support his family. He now plans to pursue a diploma in electrical studies to gain practical skills before preparing for a government job.
Another high achiever from the commerce stream was Palak Summan of HMV Collegiate Senior Secondary School, Jalandhar, who also secured 486 marks out of 500, scoring 97.20 per cent. She, too, aspires to become a Chartered Accountant.
Meanwhile, Pawan Kumar, a student of the arts stream at School of Eminence, Adampur, secured the third position in Jalandhar and 16th in the state by scoring 485 marks out of 500, securing 97 per cent.
Pawan’s father is a mason. Having earlier scored 94 per cent in Class X, Pawan now wants to pursue law and become an advocate.
Significantly, four students from Jalandhar who featured on the merit list belong to families of daily wagers. Apart from Gurpreet Singh and Pawan Kumar, the list includes Khushboo, who secured the seventh position in the district.
A student of the arts stream at Senior Secondary Residential School for Meritorious Students, she scored 484 marks out of 500, securing 96.80 per cent. Daughter of a daily wager, Khushboo now aims to build a career in the Income Tax Department.
Similarly, Pratham, who secured the eighth position in the district, also comes from a financially struggling family. His father also works as a daily wager. A student of Government Senior Secondary School, Gandhi Camp, Pratham said he wants to become a teacher.
No students from the science stream featured on the state merit list
Reportedly, seven students from Jalandhar have featured in the state merit list this year.
Around 19,013 students from Jalandhar appeared for the PSEB Class X examinations, out of which nearly 17,138 students cleared the exams.
