The total number of official State ranks in SSLC public examinations was 773, an increase of 66.24 per cent over last year and of the 773, Coimbatore has bagged the maximum number of ranks.
The number of State third ranks alone was 540 this year, which was more than the total State ranks of 465 recorded in 2014.
88 State ranks
From just 21 State ranks last year (5 second and 16 third ranks), Coimbatore achieved as many as 88 State ranks or i.e., 11.38 per cent of the total 773. Salem and Namakkal districts came a distant second, with 52 State ranks each.
The achievement has doubly delighted School Education officials here as the city achieved no State first rank last year.
This year, five city school students scored 499 out of 500 to bag State first rank, 26 scored 498 to become second and 57 students scored 497, coming third. All State first rank holders in Coimbatore secured centum in mathematics, science, social science and English and 99 in Tamil.
The achievement is especially a sweet reward for one of the toppers, R. Karthika of Bishop Francis Matriculation Higher Secondary School, whose mother, Dhanalakshmi, works as a helper in an anganwadi Centre and her father, Ravichandran, being an electrician.
She said that her parents had made tremendous sacrifices to further her studies.
She hopes to become a doctor and is looking to pursue biology group in Class XI.
She never went to any tuition and concentrated during the class hours.
K.S. Kerethika of Vidyaa Vikas Matriculation Higher Secondary School is also into medicine and is contemplating becoming a paediatrician as she loves children. K.G. Kruthigayini of Siwalik Matriculation Higher Secondary School also intends to pursue biology group, but is considering a career in agriculture and is aiming to go the TNAU.
K. Harshini of CMS Matriculation Higher Secondary School wants to become a computer engineer.