Ludhiana students brought laurels to the district in the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) Senior Secondary (Class XII) examination results declared on Wednesday, with two students from the city securing second and third positions in the state merit list.While Supneet Kaur from Mansa emerged as the state topper, Ludhiana’s Suhani Chauhan and Divanshi claimed the second and third positions respectively, making the district proud and once again highlighting the strong academic performance of city schools.According to the merit list released by the PSEB, Suhani Chauhan of BCM Senior Secondary School, Focal Point, scored a perfect 500 out of 500 marks to secure the second position in Punjab.Divanshi, a student of Teja Singh Sutantar Memorial Senior Secondary School, Shimlapuri, also scored 500 out of 500 marks and bagged the third position in the state.The district merit list reflected a clear dominance of girl students, with girls occupying most of the top positions. Out of the district’s top 10 students, only a few boys managed to find a place in the merit list, underlining the impressive academic performance of girls in the board examinations this year.Suhani Chauhan, state second topper and district topper Suhani Chauhan, who secured the second position in the state and emerged as the district topper, credited her success to regular revision and consistent focus in the classroom. Coming from a middle-class family, Suhani said that she achieved the feat without taking any private coaching. “I remained regular in my studies and focused properly during classes. Revision played the biggest role in my preparation,” she said.Suhani Chauhan of BCM Senior Secondary School, Jamalpur Colony, Ludhiana, scored 500 out of 500 marks in Humanities. Tribune photo: Ashwani DhimanSuhani shared that her father works as an HR manager in a private firm and her family always motivated her to aim high in life. She now aspires to become a judge and is planning to pursue higher studies at Guru Nanak Dev University. “I want to achieve something meaningful in life and serve society through the legal profession,” she added.Divanshi, who bagged the third position, said that she was confident of making it to the merit list, though she had not expected such a high rank in the board examinations.Diwanshi of Teja Singh Sutantar Memorial Senior Secondary School, Shimlapuri, Ludhiana, scored 500 out of 500 marks in the humanities stream to secure third position in the PSEB Class XII examinations. Tribune photo: Ashwani Dhiman“I always believed that my name would feature in the merit list, but I never expected this position. I give full credit to my parents and teachers who supported me throughout my journey,” she said.The student said she followed a disciplined timetable right from the beginning of the academic session and remained dedicated towards her studies throughout the year.Divanshi also highlighted the importance of balancing academics with extra-curricular activities. She said sports helped her remain mentally relaxed during the hectic board examination preparations.“Sports helped me refresh my mind and maintain concentration during studies,” she added.Another student from Teja Singh Sutantar Memorial Senior Secondary School, Simran Tiwari, secured the third position in the Ludhiana district merit list with 497 marks out of 500, followed by Taniya Sharma, Shouryeveer Thakur and Ranjeet Singh, who scored 492 marks each.The district merit list further included Sanmeesh Patel and Lovepreet Kaur with 491 marks each, while Drishti secured 490 marks.A notable feature of the merit list was the exceptional performance of students from Teja Singh Sutantar Memorial Senior Secondary School, Shimlapuri, which dominated the district rankings with several students featuring among the top scorers.Educationists termed the results encouraging and said the performance reflected the dedication of students and teachers alike. Parents were seen celebrating outside schools, while students exchanged sweets and congratulated one another after the declaration of results.School principals said despite academic pressure and competition, students had shown remarkable determination and focus throughout the year. They also appreciated the role played by parents in motivating children to perform well.Meanwhile, district education officials congratulated the achievers and expressed hope that the outstanding performance of Ludhiana students would inspire others to work harder in future examinations.