Subhojit Ghosh returned to St Joseph’s College on Thursday, the morning after he became the highest scorer in the history of the ISC examination with 99.25 per cent. Picture by Aranya Sen

Star student Subhojit Ghosh has taken his alma mater from “St Joseph’s where?” to “St Joseph’s wow!” within a day, according to his principal.

“We like to be low-key but that does not mean we lack in anything,” smiled principal N. McNamara of St Joseph’s College on Thursday morning, this year’s national ISC topper seated by his side.

St Joseph’s College, housed in a well-maintained British-era building hemmed in by decrepit commercial and residential structures in Bowbazar, emerged from relative obscurity on Wednesday when Subhojit topped the ISC charts with a record 99.25 per cent.

As students and staff of the 119-year-old school basked in the afterglow of a stupendous success story the day after, McNamara put Subhojit’s academic excellence into perspective.

“We as a school do not concentrate purely on academics. We believe in building all-rounders,” said the principal. “Our students are encouraged to participate in cricket, football and rugby competitions.”

Subhojit is the epitome of the St Joseph’s “all-rounder”, striking a balance between studies and extra-curricular activities ranging from music and sports to online socialising.

“We have various activity clubs that students can become members of, including Interact Club, Leadership Training Service, Nature Club and Kids for Tigers,” said a teacher.

The sprawling courtyard of 69 BB Ganguly Street with 1,300 students is a pleasant surprise that greets any visitor after a walk down the narrow, dark passage cutting through a marketplace and leading to one of the gates.

St Joseph’s College — established at this address in 1890 by the Congregation of Christian Brothers to educate the underprivileged — has always had a heterogeneous mix of students.

“The school doesn’t distinguish between students — rich, poor, brilliant or average, we accept them all. This is what makes us unique,” said Surupa Duffader, a teacher.

Discipline is another area that the school authorities say they never compromise on, not even for a national topper.

“Ours is the most disciplined school in the city,” said Subhojit the rock music fan, who was once sent back to the saloon after he had coloured his hair. So, the topper ran for a haircut before appearing on television on Wednesday.

“The first thing he told the TV channels was that he needed to have a haircut. I think he was afraid I would reach the studio to scold him about his hair,” said McNamara, smiling at Subhojit.

So, where does the school now in the national spotlight go from here?

“We will keep imparting value education, which is an integral part of the curriculum,” said the principal.