
Even as the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has not released a list of toppers this year, a majority of students from underprivileged backgrounds have made it as the top scorers. Only 13.24 per cent of the over 12 lakh students who appeared for the exam could get 90 per cent or more marks in the CBSE class 12 boards.
CBSE Class 12th result 2020 declared | LIVE Updates
Apart from the uncertainty and coronavirus pandemic, many of these students had to overcome economic and physical hardship too. Here are some of the inspiring stories –
Palak fought Spastic hemiplegia to get 95.4% marks

Palak Gupta from Amity International School, Saket, Delhi has scored 95.4 per cent marks despite struggling with spastic hemiplegia, which does not allow her to write her own exams. She overcame this with sheer practice. “My mother has been a constant support. Since I had to use a scribe in the exams, she used to appear for the mock papers at home with me. I studied throughout the year. I have improved my marks gradually,” she said.
Palak has scored a full 100 marks in psychology, which she claims is her favourite subject. She aims to study at Lady Shri Ram College, St Stephens or Hindu College. “I want to have quality education as well as enjoy college and DU can help me with both.” She remarked that while studying, one should put in all efforts and when finally writing the exam, take deep breaths and approach it with confidence.
Devesh Sharma, first in the family to apply for college

Devesh Sharma, resident of a village in Mathura, is applying for undergraduate courses and this makes him the first in his family to do so. The son of a farmer and homemaker, both who have obtained education up to class 12, Devesh scored 99.2 per cent marks in CBSE and wants to pursue a career in design. To continue his studies online during lockdown, he bought the family’s first-ever smartphone.
On breaking the stereotype that “humanities is for students who do not perform well”, he credits his achievement to parental support. Claiming to have studied at least 12 hours in a day, he said it was his “junoon” (passion) which has got him so far. He aspires to pursue a master’s degree in design from the London School of Arts and is aspiring to get admission to BFA in St Stephen’s College, DU for graduation. He is a student of VidyaGyan School, UP.
Rhea Negi, a national-level shooter battled dyslexia to get 90.6%

Rhea Negi, from Army Public School, Noida has represented India in national-level shooting competitions and has scored 90.6 per cent marks. She had to fight dyslexia at a young age and took special classes for reading, spelling and writing. Now, Rhea, who can study independently, has also emerged as one of the top scorers. She is grateful to her school teachers, who she says helped her even beyond studies.
Unlike other students, she did not put too many hours at study but thinks it is the quality that matters. “I used to go for shooting practice after school. But I ensured to study at least two hours a day,” she informed indianexpress.com. For her peers, she advised that whatever one studies it should be with full dedication. She aims to study photography and visual sciences to pursue her hobby at a professional level.
Vanshika Kataria: Daughter of a beautician

Vanshika Kataria, from Modern Public School, Shalimar Bagh who has secured 95.75 per cent marks, is the daughter of a single mother. Her mother, who is sole breadwinner after her father passed away, runs a beauty parlour from their ancestral home. Kataria, who opted for Commerce, got the highest marks – 99/100 – in Economics. She wishes to pursue BA (H) Economics from the University of Delhi (DU).
Talking to indianexpress.com, she said, “My mother and I both cried after seeing my result. I had studied for over 15 hours a day non-stop. I did not even get up for a break to eat food and my mother used to feed me as I studied during the exam days. I aimed to get 90 per cent marks but got more than I desired. Now, I am hoping to get a seat in DU as it is not only prestigious but also affordable for us.” Kataria wishes to make her mother proud and financially stable.
Hriday gave more time to studies to overcome slow learning abilities, gets 93%

Hriday Kharbanda who was detected as a slow learner has overcome obstacles to get 93 per cent marks in CBSE class 12 results. He studied in Heritage School, Gurugram, Haryana. “I take 5-6 hours to understand a concept which generally people take 2-3 hours. So, I decided to put extra hours in my studies. I used to wake up at 5 am and sleep after midnight. I studied for 12 hours every day,” he informed.
Hriday has applied to study BCom (H) at Delhi University and aims to specialise in share marketing moving forward. He had commerce subjects and his favorite subject was accounts in which he obtained 92 marks. His highest score was in business studies with 95 marks. Suggesting his peers he said, “Work hard to achieve the success you aspire for that is the motto I have kept in my life and want to share with others too.”