In the recent UP Board High School (Class 10) and Intermediate (Class 12) examination results, students from smaller districts such as Sitapur and Barabanki achieved top honors, while Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, did not have any representation in the top five for the third consecutive year. The High School merit list featured 18 students, none from Lucknow, although two students from Lucknow Public College (Rajajipuram) secured a place in the top 10, tying for the 10th position with a score of 96.17%. The top scorer, Kashish Verma from Sitapur, and Anshika Verma from Barabanki, both achieved a score of 587 out of 600 (97.83%). In the Intermediate category, Shikha Verma from Sitapur topped with 488 out of 500. UP Board secretary Bhagwati Singh noted that the lack of representation from major cities like Lucknow may be due to the higher number of CBSE and CISCE schools, which attract the top students, while students from smaller districts have shown exceptional dedication.