In a first, student tops merit list with 99.2% in Humanities

Kolkata: For the first time since Plus 2 system was introduced in Bengal in 1976, a student from Humanities has topped the merit list of the Higher Secondary examinations. Granthan Sengupta of Jalpaiguri Zilla School stood first with 496 marks scoring 99.2 percent.

"I want to become a professor in History. The question pattern has provided us the opportunity to compete neck-and-neck with students from the Science stream. It is necessary to have the confidence that you can excel in Humanities as well," Granthan said.

The boy has scored 99 in Bengali, 90 in English, 100 in Geography, 98 in History, 100 in Philosophy and 99 in Computer Science (optional) subject. Nine marks were added to the total from the optional subject.

Granthan loves to act in dramas. But for the last one year, he has not been on stage and has concentrated only on his studies. Granthan's father, Goutam Sengupta, works in a private company while his mother Mousumi is a teacher in Kaliaganj Primary School.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee spoke with Granthan congratulating him for his success and advised him to continue his studies in the subject of his choice. State Education minister Partha Chatterjee said: "I cannot recollect anyone in recent times who has topped Higher Secondary in Humanities. This is a clear indication that if you have the merit and dedication, you can excel irrespective of your stream," he added.

Ramchandra Mondal, headmaster of Jalpaiguri Zilla School, termed Granthan's success as unprecedented.

"We are overwhelmed. He is a versatile genius. When he had scored 99 in Life Science in Madhyamik, his father had told him to study bio-science. But he was adamant to study Arts because of his love for History," Mondal said.

Interestingly, Anima Garai of Ranibandh High School in Bankura who has come first among the girls and overall fifth scoring 97.2 percent marks with a grand total of 486 also pursued Arts.

The other topper among the girls — Abhradipta Ghosh of Jadavpur Vidyapith in Kolkata, however, studied Science.

"Hard work has been the key to my success. Stream is not a bar if you have the determination then you can excel in whatever subjects you choose, particularly when the question pattern is now multiple choice type," Anima Garai, who hails from remote Haludkanali village in Bankura, said.

Headmaster of Ranibandh school, Sambhunath Pyne, said most of the students in this area study Arts.

"Science stream requires private tuitions and students in this remote village mostly hail from poor families and cannot afford tuitions and hence, they opt for Arts.

"This is the only school in Ranibandh that offers Science in HS," he maintained.