The three district toppers who secured 1,180 out of 1,200 in the Plus-Two board examinations hogged the limelight on Thursday when the results were out. Sweets and camera flashes greeted them all through the day.
However, there were several students who had scored over them, with one having got 1,191. Yet, they did not get noticed. This was because their second language was not Tamil.
Despite having outscored their counterparts, they did not get the recognition due to them by the State Government. Their counterparts got all the recognition by virtue of having studied Tamil as the second language.
This year, Coimbatore district bagged a number of State toppers in subjects ranging from English and German to nursing and Home Science. However, they did not get the official seal of approval that goes with those having Tamil as second language. Among the interesting achievements by students of Coimbatore was that they got all the top three ranks in English, Nutrition and Dietetics and German also.
In the category of students who did not have Tamil as the second language, the following have secured the top three ranks in the district: The first rank in the non-Tamil category, with 1,191 marks, was secured by K.M. Balaji of Bharathi Matriculation Higher Secondary School on Thadagam Road.
The second rank was shared by two students who scored 1,190: M.R. Katheeja Bai of Avila Convent Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Velandipalayam, and R. Srinivas of Bharathi Matriculation Higher Secondary School on Thadagam Road.
The above two marks were higher than the State first rank holders who secured 1,189.
The third rank was shared by three students who had scored 1,187: G.S. Anuj Raaj of P.K.D. Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Pollachi; S. Sneha Sruthi of Perks Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Uppilipalayam, and Kanishka Sharma of Avila Convent Matriculation Higher Secondary School. All these students had taken French as their second language.
