Latest news with #Keerthika
New Indian Express
09-05-2025
- General
- New Indian Express
Tailor's daughter scores 591 in Class 12 board exams, repeats Class 10, 11 feat
CHENNAI: V Keerthika, the daughter of a newspaper delivery man and a factory tailor, has topped Chennai in the Class 12 board examinations by scoring 591 out of 600 - the highest among all Chennai Corporation schools. A student of Chennai Girls' Higher Secondary School in Pulla Avenue, Shenoy Nagar, Keerthika has once again made her parents proud, as she was a topper in both classes 10 and 11. Despite her academic brilliance, financial constraints have now forced Keerthika to alter her higher education plans. The savings from her scholarship amount of Rs 53,000 were recently used to pay her brother's BTech college fees. With this, an engineering course, her first choice, is no longer an option, says Keerthika. She is now planning to enrol in an arts college, with political science or a related subject and go on to prepare for civil services. Keerthika lives with her family in the Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board tenements in TP Chatram, Shenoy Nagar. 'Residing on the ground floor, our toilets often get clogged. Though the government staff respond to our complaints after repeated calls, there's never a permanent fix.' 'All I ever wanted was to build an independent home for my parents - a peaceful place they could call their own,' she adds. V Suganya, her mother, suffers from varicose vein issues and cannot work, while P Venkatesan, her father, remains the family's sole breadwinner. To ease the burden, Keerthika's brother also helps with newspaper delivery. 'Despite our financial constraints, we always wanted to give our children a good education. But now that the money we had saved for our daughter has been used up, we can only hope someone comes forward to support her financially in achieving her dream,' her mother said.
Time of India
08-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
A hat-trick as city topper
Chennai: V Keerthika , a student of Chennai higher secondary school on Pulla Avenue in Shenoy Nagar, once again made headlines by emerging as the top scorer with 591 in the Class XII board exams across all Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) schools. This is not a first for her — Keerthika was the city topper in the SSLC exams in 2023 and continued to excel in the Class XI as stellar performance did not come easy though. Her father, a daily wage tailor at an export company and the sole breadwinner for the family, struggled to arrange funds for her education. Due to financial constraints, he was unable to afford books and guides for Keerthika. Understanding her family's situation, she never asked for study materials. Fortunately, as a consistent topper in Classes X, XI and XII, her school's teachers and principal provided her with guides and special academic support to help her score well in the board exams."I worked hard to secure high marks in the public examination and used to arrive early and leave late from school. The teachers were friendly and would clear doubts even outside school hours. I saved the scholarship money I received for scoring the highest marks in board exams to pay for my college fees. However, since my father couldn't afford my elder brother's fees, I gave him the money. Now, it's difficult to pay my own college fee, though I wish to pursue a BE at Anna University. I also aspire to become an IAS officer," said school headmistress, N Chinna Velaithai, stated, "She is one of the most hardworking students we ever had. Her achievements are a matter of pride not just for the school but for the entire city. Since there's no proper space at her home to study, she used to. We conducted regular tests and provided proper guidance. However, due to her family's financial situation, we are currently seeking scholarships to support her higher education."
