100/100: Brave Bhandara Girl Hits Perfect Score

Nagpur: Achieving a perfect 100% in the HSC Board examinations requires hours of study, hard work, and relentless focus. Gitika Dhoot, a commerce student of Nutan Kanya Shala, Bhandara, displayed all these virtues along with immense mental strength as she battled a winter of personal tragedies to achieve 100% marks.Between December 2025 and January 2026, Gitika battled personal tragedies that would have derailed most students. Her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. A month later, her best friend died after falling from a staircase. Just as she was trying to find her footing again, her close relative passed away unexpectedly."It was a tough phase for me," said Gitika, speaking to TOI. But she didn't stop. Gitika had studied continuously throughout the year, so when grief made concentration at home impossible, she didn't have to start from scratch. She moved to a library, where her friend Mitali, preparing for CLAT, became her anchor. Mitali helped her with studies, kept her motivated and was, by all accounts, the rock she needed at her lowest point.Her daily routine before all of this was already demanding, school every day, 5-6 hours of self-study, and 2-3 hours of baseball practice. She had taken up the sport only in Class 11 at her school. The late start that did not stop her from representing her state.Her father, who was forced to drop out of the BCom course, runs a small shop. Her mother battled cancer this year while continuing to push Gitika forward. "Don't stop because of me," she told Gitika. "You have the potential, work hard," she said.Her mother's cancer and subsequent medical expenses hit the family financially. Gitika had planned to pursue CA coaching in Nagpur, but those plans have been revised. She is now preparing in Bhandara, taking online coaching for the CA Foundation exam, with her first attempt scheduled for September 2026.Yavatmal girl also scores 100%Kimaya Sheetal Vatile, a student of Jagdamba Science College in Yavatmal, also scored a perfect 100%. Her father, Sheetal Vatile, attributed her achievement to her relentless hard work, determination, and perseverance.