Sikh student in Pakistan excels in matric exam, SGPC to award Rs 51,000

A Sikh student living in Pakistan's Punjab province is in the news for his academic performance. Oankar Singh secured second position in the matric, or Class 10, examination conducted by the Lahore Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, bringing recognition to his community. In view of his achievement, India's Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has decided to honour him with a cash award of Rs 51,000.

This is not the first time Oankar Singh has performed well. In his Class 9 examination too, he had secured second position in the board and scored an A+ grade in all subjects. In that exam, he scored 98 out of 100 in Islamiyat, 49 out of 50 in Quran translation, a full 75 out of 75 in English, 74 out of 75 in Urdu, a full 60 out of 60 each in Physics and Chemistry, and 59 out of 60 in Biology. Building on this consistent academic record, he has now secured second position in the Lahore board in the matric examination as well.

SGPC chief secretary Kulwant Singh Mannan said that on the advice of SGPC president Advocate Harjinder Singh Dhami, the executive committee decided in its meeting to give Oankar Singh a cash award of Rs 51,000. Mannan said that this achievement by Oankar, who belongs to the minority Sikh community in Pakistan, holds great significance.

Oankar Singh's father, Dr Mimpal Singh, is a member of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) and works in the medical and education fields. According to the SGPC, Dr Mimpal Singh is regarded as Pakistan's first Sikh doctor. The Pakistani government has honoured him with the civil award Tamgha-i-Imtiaz for his services.

The SGPC said that despite belonging to a minority community in Pakistan, Oankar achieved this milestone purely through his hard work and ability, which is a matter of pride for the entire Sikh community.