Naveen Kumar scored a phenomenal 491 marks out of 500 to top Haryana School Education Board's class XII exams but his family's elation has now given way to dejection as the state government awarded a co-topper while "ignoring" the Hisar lad's achievement.
Kumar, and a girl student, Heena, scored identical marks to emerge toppers. Soon, after Heena was awarded Rs four lakh but no such honour was accorded to Kumar, according to his father.
"If the Haryana government presented a cheque of Rs four lakh to Heena, then why was a boy ignored," Kumar's father Ran Singh, who works as a compounder at a private clinic, told PTI.
Kumar, who has two elder sisters, resides in Hisar's Shiv Colony. According to Ran Singh, the boy scored 1,554th rank in the NEET exam under OBC category.
"He is keen to pursue studies...with the marks in NEET he will easily get good medical college in India in the first counselling its," said Ran Singh with evident pride.
However, the family cannot stop asking why Kumar was "ignored" when his co-topper was honoured. Interestingly, Heena also hails from Hisar.
"The state government gave Rs four lakh to co-topper Heena and ignored my son," said Ran Singh. The proud father feels that by not even taking his son's achievement into consideration, the state government "insulted" Kumar.
Haryana School Education Board Chairman Jagbir Singh sought to clarify that Kumar's family did not make any request for financial aid as was done by Heena.
Singh said it was the government's duty to reach out to a student if he or she was in need of help.
Ran Singh, however, was not impressed.
"I am not aware of any policy of the state government to honour meritorious students...But if they can honour a girl why is a boy ignored," he asks.
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