Noida girl Raksha Gopal has emerged as All India topper in the Class XII examination of CBSE with whopping 99.6 per cent, just two marks away from the perfect score. However, academics is not the only sphere Gopal excels in, she is learning French these days and has completed five levels in electronic keyboard from a Delhi-based institute affiliated with Trinity College of Music, london.
Raksha is a talented keyboard player and she struck all the right chords — and ended up with the highest score of 99.6 per cent marks.
A 17-year old Raksha, Humanities student at Amity International School, Noida, said she was expecting a “good” result but was surprised to find that she was just two marks short of a perfect 100.
“I was expecting about 95 per cent, but 99.6 per cent was unimaginable,” she said. Raksha, who stood first among almost 11 lakh students across India, scored 100 per cent marks in three subjects — English core, Political science and Economics — and 99 per cent in two subjects — Psychology and History.
She is keen to study Political Science in the University of Delhi. The top three colleges that she has in mind are lady Shri Ram, Miranda House and Jesus and Mary. “Once in college, I will decide on the future course of action,” she said.
Raksha, who was “fully focused” on her subjects, said mock tests helped her prepare. She did not take any private lessons for the examinations. Her father, Gopal Srinivasan, said she had the freedom to plan out her timetable for revision. “We never put any pressure on Raksha. I always tell her to concentrate on studies and not go under the tension of achieving the topper slot,” said Srinivasan, the Chief Finance Officer in the Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation.
Mother Ranjani Gopal said she concentrated on feeding her, and ensuring that she slept well. Raksha’s sister Prerna, who studies Bio-Chemistry at the Institute of Home Economics, University of Delhi, said she provided a “supportive environment” to her younger sibling.