'ChatGPT Helped Me Improve My English And Marathi Writing': Kolhapur Student Arya Naik Scores 100% In SSC 2026; Aspires To Be CA

Kolhapur: The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education on Tuesday declared the SSC Class 10 Result 2026. Kolhapur division delivered a strong performance in the SSC Feb-2026 exam. Notably, Kolhapur recorded 15 students who achieved a perfect score of 100 percent, reflecting the division’s consistent academic excellence and strengthening its reputation as one of Maharashtra’s top-performing regions.

Among the standout performers this year is Arya Gautam Naik from Shrimant Maisaheb Bavdekar Academy, Kolhapur, who scored a perfect 100/100 percentage in the SSC examination. His achievement comes in a year where Kolhapur also delivered a strong overall performance, further strengthening its academic standing in the state.

While talking with the Free Press Journal, he shared that while he was consistently scoring in the 97–98% range throughout his academic journey, he never expected a perfect score in the SSC examinations. He credited his teachers and parents for their constant encouragement and belief in his abilities.

“Honestly speaking, I never thought I’d get 100%. But my teachers and parents had a lot of faith in me. They always told me that if I kept trying, I could reach that level,” he said.

Preparation Strategy: Consistency Over Intensity

Arya explained that his preparation was steady throughout the academic year. He focused on understanding concepts rather than rote learning. His study routine included around 1.5 hours of daily study during the school year, regular revision of concepts and classroom learning, and intensive preparation of 7–8 hours daily during the final month before exams. He emphasized that consistency played a key role in his success.

“I used to study regularly and keep clearing my concepts from time to time. In the last month before exams, I increased my study hours to around 7–8 hours daily,” he said.

Use of AI Tools in Studies

Arya also mentioned that he used AI tools like ChatGPT during his preparation, but only as a support system. He explained that AI helped him improve his language skills, especially in English and Marathi creative writing. “I used ChatGPT a little bit, especially for creative language. It helped me improve my English and Marathi writing. I used it only for reference,” he said.

Beyond Studies: Sports and Music Interests

Along with academics, Arya is also actively involved in extracurricular activities. He shared that sports, especially cricket, play an important role in his life.“I like to play cricket very much. I have also played matches on behalf of the school and used to go to the academy before,” he said.

Along with cricket, Arya has a strong inclination towards music. He plays the harmonium and has appeared for three examinations conducted by Gandharva Mahavidyalaya. He also mentioned that he received extra grace marks in the SSC board due to his musical achievements, which contributed to his perfect score of 100.

“I play harmonium and have given three exams in it. I also got extra grace marks for that in SSC, which helped me reach 100,” he said.

Aim to Become a Chartered Accountant

Arya has already decided his future path and plans to pursue Chartered Accountancy. He shared that the decision was made early in his academic life.

“I have chosen the commerce stream and I am going to do CA. I have had it in my mind since the 8th standard that I want to be a CA. My father himself is a CA and my mother also takes 11th and 12th commerce tuitions and CA foundation classes. So, I have a good background and guidance. That’s why it was in my mind from the beginning that we should do CA,” he said.

Family Reaction

Arya’s parents were extremely happy with his achievement, although they were not expecting a perfect score. “My parents are very happy. They didn't expect this, although they knew I'd reach 98-99%, but no one thought I'd get 100 out of 100,” he said.

His journey highlights the importance of discipline, consistency, and balanced development, along with his strong interest in music beyond academics.

Kolhapur Emerges as Maharashtra’s Second-Best Performing SSC Division

The Kolhapur division delivered an impressive performance in the Maharashtra SSC February 2026 examination, securing the second position in the state with an overall pass percentage of 95.47%. Out of 1,29,499 registered candidates, 1,29,006 students appeared for the examination, and 1,23,171 successfully passed, reflecting the division’s consistent academic excellence.

With this result, Kolhapur stood just behind Konkan, which emerged as the top-performing division with a pass percentage of 97.62%. Kolhapur also outperformed major divisions such as Mumbai (94.97%), Pune (94.24%), and Nashik (90.53%).

Notably, the division recorded 15 students who secured a perfect score of 100 percent, further highlighting Kolhapur’s strong academic performance and growing prominence in the SSC results.

Published on: Saturday, May 09, 2026, 03:08 PM IST