Chief minister Nitish Kumar presents a cheque to Bihar School Examination Board joint topper Kundan Kumar in Patna on Tuesday. Picture by Deepak Kumar

Patna, May 31: The rural background of the Bihar board Class X exam joint toppers this year proves the educational initiatives of the state government are reaching out to remote areas. At least one of the two best Class X passouts believes so.

Kundan Kumar, a joint-topper with Shalini Yadav in the Bihar School Examination Board examination, heaped praises on the state government today at a felicitation programme at the chief minister’s official residence.

He said: “This year, Bihar board toppers are from rural background. This shows that various educational measures started by the state government have helped in creating educational awareness in rural areas.”

Chief minister Nitish Kumar presented the boy with a laptop and a cheque of Rs 15,000. While congratulating Kundan, Nitish said he would get another award on the birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad that is celebrated as Education Day on November 11.

Kundan, a student of Janta High School, Parsuni, in Sitamarhi district, got 92 per cent with a total of 460.

The chief minister said there was no dearth of talent in the state and his government was committed to providing incentives to students to help them succeed.

After receiving the award from the chief minister, the topper said: “I was confident of getting good marks but this is a dream come true for me.”

Nitish also met Akansha Kumari, who secured 1,521st rank in the IIT-JEE this year.

The chief minister said the state human resource development department would constitute a child committee consisting of toppers in Bihar School Examination Board and Intermediate Council for the past four years.

The toppers would share their views with top officials on how to improve the education sector in the state.

Before arriving at the chief minister’s residence, Kundan visited the Bihar School Examination Board office and met the board chairman, Rajmani Singh.

Sources said as Kundan’s father Manoj Kumar Singh runs a security agency in New Delhi, the boy has decided to go to the capital for higher studies. He wants to study engineering at an IIT.

Bihar School Examination Board officials have decided to felicitate the top 10 rank holders this year.

Singh said: “We will felicitate 24 students this year, who have secured the top 10 ranks in the board examination on December 3 — the foundation day of the board.”