BCM Senior Secondary School Principal M R Mehta, said: “Around 8:30 am on Friday, I got a call from the Deputy Commissioner and he was asking me about Shilpi (last year's state topper of Class XII) and Prabhjot Kaur (this year's state topper). He asked me to send both to his office at 10:30 am on Saturday. I have conveyed the message to their respective families.”

Both the girls along with their fathers held a meeting with the Deputy Commissioner and have now pinned up their hopes for financial help from the state government.

Talking to Newsline, Shilpi's father Prem Kumar said: “The DC asked Shilpi about her academic record and from where was she was pursuing her studies now. He also asked me about my financial status and then asked Shilpi to write a request letter to the state government for monetary aid. After getting it duly attested, we handed over the letter to the DC.” Shilpi said, “I am very hopeful that the award money of Rs 2 lakh announced by the Chief Minister last year would reach me soon.” A similar procedure was followed in Prabhjot's case.

Prabhjot, who topped Class XII in all the streams, said: “I also told the Deputy Commissioner about my wish to do fashion designing but due to financial constraints, it seems unlikely. After asking my father about his business, The DC asked me to write a request letter to the state government for rendering financial help for my further studies. It is nice to know that the state government is willing to help me.”

Meanwhile, the DC said: “Every year, we recommend the names of toppers to the state government. This time too, I have recommended the names of 2008 and 2009 toppers. I have also called up Neha Sharma, the Class X topper of the district, for forwarding her case to the state government."

When asked as to why Shilpi, the last year's topper was not awarded her announced prize money even after a year, DC Garg said: “I do not know about this. As of now, I have recommended her case again.”