Despite belonging to an impoverished family in Manipur, a place infamous for rampant strike calls by insurgents, Mohammad Ismat, 20 scored 495 marks out of 500 – 100 in mathematics, chemistry and fine arts, and 98 in English and 97 in physics.

Youngest among seven sisters, Ismat hails from a poor Muslim family in Lilong Haoreibi village in Thoubal district but his hardwork and zeal has made the whole state proud. As the news of the results declared on Monday reached Imphal, students and the staff at the Zenith Academy, where Ismat studies, went into celebration mode. Excited students carried Ismat on their shoulders as other cheered and garlanded him at the academy.

According to NDTV, the area gets only 2-4 hours of electricity daily still Ismat managed to reach this landmark, something he credits to his willpower. “If I hadn't dreamed about this, how could I have achieved it,”Ismat told NDTV, adding, “I bowed down in front of God and thanked him for all this.”

Despite suffering from piles for three months in the run up to the examinations, Ismat put in eight hours in daily studies to achieve the feat. “Impossible is not in my mind and I have the strong conviction that everything is possible when a man determined to do what mankind can do. And this is the only tool for me to top in this national level examination," an excited Ismat told The Times of India.

Son of a retired government primary school teacher, Ismat received his primary education at a local school in his village before joining Kendriya Vidyalaya in capital Imphal where he scored 94.2 percent in class X CBSE examination. Due to financial problems, Ismat couldn't continue and had to leave the school but this proved to be a blessing in disguise for him as the management of Zenith Academy admitted him in the school on a discounted fee.

Aspiring to become a physicist, Ismat wants to continue his further studies in St Stephen's college in Delhi.