GAGANDEEP SCORES PERFECT 100, HER BEST FRIEND NAVJOT IS SECOND

FARIDKOT: The daughters of farmers, best friends and classmates from Sant Mohan Dass Memorial Senior Secondary School, Kot Sukhia in Faridkot district, secured the top two positions in the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) Class 10 exam on Friday.

Gagandeep Kaur, 16, topped the exam in the state scoring 100% (650/650), while Navjot, 16, bagged the second position with 99.69% (648/650).

Apart from studies, both girls play carrom and represent their school and district. Both won the gold medal in the carrom competition at the recent state-level games and are preparing to play at the national level.

Never took pressure of studies, want to be banker, says topper

Gagandeep said her parents, Gursewak Singh and Lovepreet Kaur, and teachers always supported her. “I have never taken the pressure of studying. I studied for four hours daily after school and enjoyed playing carrom. I struck a balance between sports and academics. I want to excel in the banking sector as I’m interested in commerce,” she said.

Navjot’s father, Vijay Kumar, is also a farmer but her mother passed away when she was three-years-old. Her paternal grandmother takes care of her studies.

“Girls should be given equal opportunities as they can do everything that boys can. Being disciplined and focused helped me score well. My teachers guided me. I want to become an engineer and have opted for the non-medical stream. I want to go abroad for higher studies but will be back to work in India. I want to serve people in my country,” says Navjot.