CBSE 10th Results 2025: Meet Shaankari Kishor Jadhav, the girl who scored a perfect 500/500 in her best five subjects

Hindustan Times

14-05-2025

For 15-year-old Shaankari Kishor Jadhav, who scored a perfect 100 in her best five subjects in the CBSE Class 10 board exams, the journey to success was anything but ordinary. Behind this young student's calm, focused exterior lies a story of immense grit, personal loss, and sheer determination.
'It felt unbelievable,' Shaankari recalls, describing the moment she saw her results. '100 is a lot. To get full marks in five subjects—it was crazy.'
A student of DPS MIHAN, Nagpur, Shaankari doesn't claim to have a magic formula. 'There's no shortcut. It's just hard work,' she says. 'That's the most cliché advice ever, but it's also what works best.'
Unlike many top scorers who swear by rigid schedules and time blocks, Shaankari had no fixed study routine. 'It depended on how I was feeling. I studied based on my priorities, not the clock.'
Math was both her biggest challenge and her favourite subject. 'It's a love-hate relationship,' she laughs. 'I had tuition, but mostly to get my concepts and doubts cleared.'
Her approach to theoretical subjects was straightforward: understand, then write in your own words. 'If your language is good and you understand the concept, theory becomes much easier,' she advises. 'For Math, it's all about practice.'
Despite being active on social media platforms like Instagram and YouTube, Shaankari steered clear of using them for academics. 'I never used digital platforms for studying,' she says.
Much of her success, she says, is thanks to the people around her—especially her mother, Renuka Jadhav, who owns and runs an environmental lab that conducts analysis of water, air, soil etc. 'She never missed a single day of taking me to tuition, even if she was tired,' Shaankari says. 'My teachers were always available for doubts—I used to ask a lot!'
But her journey was marked by a profound personal tragedy. Last year, Shaankari lost her father, Kishor Jadhav, to a sudden heart attack. 'I was just returning from tuition when we got the call. It felt unreal,' she says. 'You read about such things in the news, but never expect them to happen to you.'
She took time to recover but eventually found her footing again. 'You have to manage yourself. That's how I got through it.'
Looking ahead, Shaankari has chosen the science stream with plans to prepare for engineering entrance exams. She is continuing her coaching with ICAD and aims to appear for JEE. 'My plans aren't very clear yet. I just know I want to do PCM.'
To those preparing for their board exams, her message is simple: don't chase perfection in everything, focus on what matters. 'Prioritise, work on your concepts, and don't just memorise the textbooks. NCERT books are gold—use them well.'
Though she modestly admits she isn't the best at time management, Shaankari believes consistency trumps last-minute cramming. When not studying, she enjoys drawing and listening to music—mostly English songs, depending on her mood.
Ask her who inspired her the most, and she says: 'I didn't have one. I just wanted to do well. That was enough for me.'
Her journey, she says, can be summed up in one sentence: 'Full of hard work, full of setbacks—but I eventually made it through.'