Students of Balmohan Vidyamandir who figured in the SSC merit list.

June 27: Mumbai's SSC top-notcher Advait Deepak Karande, who has stood third in the overall state merit list with 92.93 per cent, was on a flight back home from the US of A when the results were declared today.

So, with the topper away, the press trained the lenses, mikes and other journalistic paraphernalia on the first runner-up Aditi Ravindra Pusalkar, of Smt N G Purandare High School in Mulund. With 92.53 per cent marks to her credit, Aditi also has the honour of topping amongst girls in Mumbai division.

``I seriously started preparing for the SSC from class nine itself, putting in five hours daily. By December last year I was solving practice question papers given by the private coaching classes in my area,'' said this quite and rather shy topper.

Unlike most other top rankers who prefer to go in for electronics and computer engineering, Aditi wants to be an architect (she still hasn't found the time to read Ayn Rand's Fountain Head yet).

As Aditi put it: ``I like both the science as well as arts subjects, which is why I think architecture is perfect for me as it is a combination of both.'' Her father Ravindra is an engineer with Godrej, while mother Vrishali works in a bank.

``Aditi is a very intelligent child, we only had to instill some confidence in her, though she didn't really expect to top,'' said her parents.

Incidentally Aditi's favourite subjects are Maths and Sanskrit (in which she scored 98 per cent).

The Principal of Balmohan Vidyamandir, G M Dabholkar, informed: ``I'm happy that the class of 97 has continued the long standing tradition of our 57-year-old school and seven of our students have featured in the merit list this year. We discourage our pupils from joining private coaching classes and believe that lots of point-by-point writing and practice tests can bring out the best in students.''

Amitkumar Khandekar, who topped amongst the backward class candidates with 89.20 per cent said he used to study for just over three hours daily and had joined a private coaching class. ``I want to become a computer engineer, though my dad wants me to be an IAS officer,'' said the topper from Vani Vidyashala High School, Kalyan.

While believing that text books are superior to guides, Amitkumar also felt that private coaching was essential to excel in studies.

Ansari Irshad Ahmed of the Madanpura Night High School at Byculla has topped this year's merit list in the night school category with a score of 79.73 per cent. Hailing from Allahabad, Ansari joined the Madanpura Night High School at Byculla from his ninth standard. Residing in a Mumbra chawl in a family of seven brothers and three sisters, Ansari works as a motor winding mechanic by day and pursues his ambition of becoming a doctor at the night school.

Meanwhile, while the state felicitated the toppers today, a dark side of our education system, too, cropped up. The crime branch sleuths busted a major racket of fake marksheets and certificates Three persons have been arrested in this connection, while two are absconding. Acting on a tip-off, the crime branch detectives laid a trap near Shubham building at Chakala, Andheri east, where Pradeep Kankunkar, his brother Arun Kankunkar and others were supposed to assemble.

Around 7.30 pm when three persons gathered on the spot, the police swooped down on them. They were later identified as Manoj Divecha, Uday Pednekar and Gokul Narwekar.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.