A Muslim student, from a school backed by the Sangh Parivar, has emerged the topper in the Class 10 (X) High School Leaving Certificate (HSLC) examinations in Assam.
The topper, Sarfaraz Hussain, is a student of the Shankardev Shishu Niketan - in Betkuchi near Guwahati - which is run by Shishu Shikshya Samiti in Assam. The Shishu Shikshya Samiti is affiliated to the Vidya Bharati, a Sangh Parivar organisation.
In the results declared on 31 May, Sarfaraz beat over 3.8 lakh students who appeared for the Class 10 examinations 2016 in Assam to score 590 marks out of 600.
According to reports, the 16-year-old has also won several awards in Sanskrit essay-writing and debate competitions, apart from topping the all-Guwahati Gita recitation contest a few years ago.
Hussain was garlanded and honored by his teachers at the school after the results were declared.
Speaking to ANI, the teenager said that he would choose science stream in his higher secondary education as he aspires to become an engineer.
"I am so happy today that I do not have words to express it. I would like thank my parents and school teachers for this. I have worked very hard for this, I used to study whenever I found time," he said.
He also advised the students to refrain from excessive indulgence in mobile phones and gadgets.
-With ANI inputs