CBSE topper from Southeast Delhi Areeba Irrfan with Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia. (Twitter/msisodia)

Areeba Irrfan (21) was pleasantly surprised when she found out that she was the district government school topper for Southeast Delhi in the CBSE class XII exams. “I hadn’t studied with such a goal in mind. I had begun preparing for the exam since the beginning of Class XII itself, but I was only studying for myself,” she said.

On Tuesday, she found herself on the pages of newspapers after Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia met her. The youngest of four sisters, Areeba was a student of Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya, New Friends Colony. She said although her teachers took special care in helping her prepare, her most constant teaching supervisor is her elder sister Zoya.

So happy to meet our all rounder Areeba Irrfan, the 12th class #DelhiGovtSchool topper of South East district, who aspires to become an IAS Officer. So proud of her!

Also met the #TeamEducation of the district & congratulated them for their smart work with our smart students. pic.twitter.com/CzaL0GtHqk

— Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) July 20, 2020

“I didn’t attend any tuition classes as I preferred studying by myself. But my sister helped me with all my subjects. She had also studied in the same school as me and had topped last year. She’s studying Political Science at PGDAV College now. But unlike her, I don’t like Political Science. I want to study History,” she said.

Areeba and her three elder sisters have been raised by the father Mohammad Irrfan – who runs a paper printing business in Old Delhi – in their home in Okhla. Their mother had passed away when Areeba was 7-years-old.

“I want to study History, and I want to balance both my passion and what my father wants me to do. I think I have qualities in me which would make a good teacher, and I really want to teach. My father wants me to be an IAS officer. I will try to pursue both,” she said.