In a year when millions of students across Uttar Pradesh waited anxiously for their results, it was a quiet village story that stole the spotlight. From the fields of Sitapur to the top of the state merit list, two daughters of farmers have emerged as the face of academic excellence, turning a routine results day into a moment of pride and inspiration.
The 2026 results declared by the Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad saw Kashish Verma and Shikha Verma, both from rural Sitapur, secure the top ranks in Class 10 and Class 12, respectively. Studying at the same school and raised in farming households, their achievements have stunned the state and drawn attention to the growing academic strength of rural students, especially girls.
Kashish Verma topped the High School (Class 10) examination with 97.83 per cent, sharing the first rank with Anshika Verma of Barabanki, who also scored 97.83 per cent. In the Intermediate (Class 12) examination, Shikha Verma secured the top position with 97.60 per cent marks, completing a rare double feat for Sitapur district.
Both toppers are students of Baburam Savitri Devi School in Bilauli Bazar, Mahmudabad. Coming from modest agrarian families, their success underscores a story of discipline and determination amid limited resources.
Notably, girls once again led the merit lists this year, maintaining their strong run in the state board exams. The overall pass rate was recorded at 90.42 per cent for Class 10 and 80.38 per cent for Class 12.
The board conducted the examinations between February 18 and March 12 across 8,033 centres spanning all 75 districts. Evaluation of answer sheets took place from March 18 to April 4 at 254 centres, involving nearly 56,000 teachers. Around 2.75 crore answer copies were assessed within just 15 working days, reflecting the scale and efficiency of the process.
According to board secretary Bhagwati Singh, the toppers’ list was released alongside the results, and meritorious students will be honoured by the state government.
This year, approximately 26.02 lakh students appeared for the High School exams, while 24.91 lakh candidates took the Intermediate exams, making it one of the largest school examination systems in the country.
Students can check their results through the official UP Board website, DigiLocker, and SMS services.
But beyond numbers and percentages, it is the story from Sitapur that will be remembered, a reminder that talent thrives everywhere, even in the most unassuming corners of the state.