'Online Classes Tough, Teachers Helped': UP Girl Gets Perfect Score in Class 10

“When I first saw the marks, I felt a bit weird. I expected a good result but not a perfect score. It slowly started sinking in. I went to school, there was dhol there also, and at home too,” said 16-year-old Diya Mahadev.

(Photo: The Quint)

On Friday afternoon, 22 July, when the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) announced the class 10 board results, celebrations ensued at 16-year-old Diya Mahadev’s home in Uttar Pradesh’s Shamli, and continued till late evening.

Boxes of sweets circulated in the neighbourhood, relatives showed up with garlands, a “Congratulations” banner in golden was put up in the house, and the sound of dhol reverberated in the air.

After all, Diya had scored a perfect 600 in her class 10 exams, with a 100 each in English, Hindi, Math, Science, Social Science, and Information Technology.

Diya Mahadev.

(Photo: The Quint)

“When I first saw the marks, I felt a bit weird. I expected a good result but not a perfect score. It slowly started sinking in. I went to school, there was dhol there also, and at home too,” said Diya.

The dancing at home hasn’t stopped.

(Photo: The Quint)

YouTube Zindabad!

Diya’s father runs a sweetmeat business, and her mother is a homemaker. “My mother studied till class 10 and my father till class 12. They are very keen that their children do well. Without their support, it would have been impossible,” said Diya’s twin sister Riya, who also got her class 10 result today, scored 85 percent.

It’s not been easy. The COVID-induced lockdown meant schools went online, lessons were taught on phones and laptops, and were at the mercy of internet connections.

“It was quite tough. There was always some network problem and I would get dropped off the classroom. I would miss out on lessons because of that. Thankfully, our teachers called us to school, spoke to us personally, solved our doubts and the rest we managed at home,” said Diya, who lives in a joint family with a bunch of older cousins.

It was these cousins that often came to her rescue. Diya’s cousin brother Vansh told The Quint, “I am good at Math, elder sister is a Science genius, so if Diya and Riya had any problems in those subjects, we would help. Baaki, YouTube zindabad!”

He said that the “result is hardly shocking because she always scores between 98-99 percent in any exam.”

(Photo: The Quint)

No Social Media, Lots of Harry Potter

Once her classes are over, Diya gets down to finishing her homework before taking a break. “She would study for six-seven hours a day. She didn’t take any tuitions, and she was also not active on social media. Maybe that helped,” said her cousin Vansh, 18.

Diya, who is a student of Scottish International School in Shamli, has decided to study Science in class 11 and 12. “After that, I want to study at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). That’s my dream,” she quipped for the nth time on Friday.

When she is not studying, Diya likes to read, and is currently quite engrossed in the Harry Potter series by JK Rowling. “I also like reading and watching sci-fi,” she said.