CHENNAI: Fishmonger’s son tops the public exams

PIC by A S Ganesh

By G Saravanan

Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai, on May 10, 2011:

Source:http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/fishmonger%E2%80%99s-son-tops-the-public-exams/272915.html

CHENNAI: When Prem Kumar, the son of a woman fish monger and a Class 12 student from Chennai Higher Secondary School, Maduvankarai, got a call from his school headmaster in the morning, little did he realise that he had emerged as a top scorer among Chennai school students in the examinations.

“Though I expected the result, HM’s call has reinforced that my thought was right,” a beaming Prem Kumar told reporters after meeting Mayor M Subramanian along with his mother P Ponni at the Ripon Building.Of the total 1200 marks, Prem Kumar scored a grand total of 1174 marks with centums in three subjects — Commerce, Accountancy and Business Maths — and secured 191 in Tamil, 185 in English and 198 in Economics.

Two years ago, Prem secured 477 marks and was the topper of his school in SSLC examinations. Prem Kumar’s mother P Ponni sells fish at the Adam Market in Triplicane.

Prem aspires to become an IAS officer and also wants to study Chartered Accountancy. He said: “My mother used to leave home (located at Ambedkar Nagar, Adambakkam) by 4am everyday and returned only after 3pm, after completing the day’s fish sales. My resolve to excel in the examinations to get a good job and look after my mother dawned on me when I saw my mother selling fish at the market.”

“Though I tried to lend my hand to her work during holidays, she was very resolute in not allowing me to her business, as she wanted me to continue studying to improve the social status of the family,” said Prem Kumar.

“I haven’t decided on what course I would join next, but it would be after consultation with the teachers and the headmaster of the school, R Sankara Narayanan,” Prem added.