Adya Kiran from the Indian High School and UAE topper in the Science stream ^Featured

Dubai – Excited school students hugged their teachers and celebrated their success on Monday after the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) announced the much-awaited board exam results.

At the Indian High School (IHS) Dubai, it was a big day for both students and teachers as the school celebrated top positions in two streams – science and humanities, with a second place in commerce.

Our Own English High School, Sharjah, recorded topper in commerce while Delhi Private School, Sharjah, shared the top rank in humanities along with IHS Dubai.

Science Topper
Adya Kiran from Indian High School was the UAE topper in the science stream with a score 98 per cent (490 out of 500). She scored 99 in Maths, Physics, Computer Science and 95 in English and 98 in Chemistry.

“Everyone is happy and I am happy that my hard work has paid off. It was two rigorous years of hard work which have been reflected in these results. The hardest part of being a student was coping up with life. Everything is fast-paced and you have to be good at both academics and extra-curricular development,” said Adya in a conversation with Khaleej Times.

A student of Indian High School since Grade 7, Adya hails from Mangalore, Karnataka.

“My mother has constantly encouraged me and she has pulled me back into studies if I ever wandered away,” remarked Adya.


Aspiring to study computer engineering, she has already written her JEE exams to explore the possibility of getting a seat in some of India’s best technical education institutions.

The 17-year old was beaming with happiness when Khaleej Times contacted her. “You should always be humble, kind and generous. Everyone has been calling home and congratulating us.”

Reflecting on her experience as a student, she noted, “CBSE should cut down on definitions and straight-forward questions. The questions should not test our rote-learning ability – they should focus on testing our logic. It’s more fun answering a hard question which tests your understanding.”

“I usually don’t discuss the question paper after the exams because I don’t like to spoil my mood. This result was a bit unexpected but my scores in some of the subjects were among the top three in the school.”

Shruthi Suresh Iyer from Indian High School was ranked second in the UAE with a score of 97.80 per cent.

Commerce Topper
Ashly Maria Saju scored 97 per cent in the commerce stream to become the UAE topper. She didn’t deny being surprised with her scores but acknowledged the results had given her a lot of self-confidence.

“I was very tensed and honestly I was speechless after I saw my scores. It wasn’t expected at all. It gives me a lot of self-confidence knowing that I have done the best in the UAE. Most of my teachers have written to me on whatsapp congratulating me on my achievement,” Ashly told Khaleej Times.

She scored 99 in accounting, 97 in English, Business studies and economics and 95 in Maths.

Vaishnavi Sivaprasad Neelakandh from Abu Dhabi Indian School and Anaika Bonita Rodrigue from Indian High School, Dubai were jointly ranked second in the commerce stream with a score of 96.20 per cent.

Vaishnavi said: “This is by far my biggest achievement in life. I just used to study daily and revise regularly. My amazing teachers get the credit for my performance. When I started my last year in school, my goal was to get into a good college to fulfill my aspiration of becoming a chartered accountant.”

Hoping to enter the Sacred Heart College in Kerala, the topper shared lighter moments from school.

“I remember my teachers used to leave comments on my question paper saying you can do better. Those little things push you and encourage you to do your best. Staying regular is extremely important and making use of vacation time is important. Once my pre-board started, I reduced all my other activities,” added Vaishnavi.

Her accounting teacher, Shany S. George, was full of praise for Vaishnavi’s dedication to academics.

“We are really on the top of the world and it is very happy for me as a teacher. She was a very meticulous and hardworking child who has been humble throughout. Her class participation is impressive and she would write down important pointers whenever we would remind the class about some expected questions in the exam. I am sure she will be successfully placed in life,” said Shany, a teacher at the ADIS.  

Humanities Topper
Anieka Sequeira from Indian High School, Dubai and Vidya Vijay from Delhi Private School, Sharjah, were the joint toppers in humanities stream with a score of 94.80 per cent.

Vidya has already received admission at the prestigious Christ University in Bengaluru for a triple degree in journalism, psychology and literature.

Speaking with Khaleej Times, she shared the excitement: “I did not really expect these results and it was quite a surprise. I expected to score low in history and I feel lucky that I have done well. Just a little disappointed with my score in English where I managed only 86.”

Vidya had never been a school topper and admitted the results were a big satisfaction for her as she now looked forward to university life.

“I have never been a school topper in my life and when I saw the result I felt very satisfied. A few hours after the results were announced, some of my friends called me and told me that I was the topper. My teachers and classmates have played a crucial role. We would never quarrel over marks and I remember all my friends as a cooperative bunch,” she added.

Vidya admitted that the board exams were a pressure situation with most students taking stress in the lead-up to the finals.

“There was a lot of pressure during exams but I never gave up on my routine. Studying a little more and reading regularly was the key.”” she added.

For her father Vijay Krishnan, the results are a proud moment for the family.  Speaking with Khaleej Times, he said: “From seventh grade she has been scoring above 90 per cent. She is consistent and with god’s grace and her efforts, she has done so well.”

Aneika Sequeira said: “I have been first for the last two years and I was expecting to be a school topper but being a UAE topper is just. Making my parents proud was the best moment.

“My biggest fear going into exams was blanking out after you have worked so hard. When I was in Grade 11, I remember I had lost a lot of sleep for my entrepreneurship exam because I had a fear of the subject. When I was in the exam hall, I blanked out for the first half an hour. I tried to calm myself and it worked,” said Aneika.

“My only message for students who will write their exams this year is not to go by what people say. There is a lot of stigma with humanities where people don’t think you are a smart student. You just have to prove them wrong and continue working hard,”