Prachi Nigam wishes she didn’t top UP Board, says ‘wouldn’t have faced trolling’

Prachi Nigam, the UP Board Class 10 topper with an exceptional 98.50 per cent marks, who faced online trolling for her facial hair, has said she wished she had not topped the exams and became a social media face.

During an interview with BBC News Hindi, a smiling Prachi expressed disappointment at how she was trending on social media more for her appearance, than for her achievement. “A few lesser marks in exams wouldn’t have made me popular on social media, and I wouldn’t have faced such trolling for my facial hair,” Prachi said.

“… But, a few people even defended me and shut off trolls by educating them that such facial hair in girls is often a result of hormonal changes,” she said. Opening up about the regular harassment she faces in person, for her appearance, Prachi said, “It obviously feels bad, but people write (on social media) what they think and nothing can be done about it.”

Prachi also said she aspires to be an engineer in the future and is focused on her dreams. The topper’s mother, Mamta Nigam, also spoke to the broadcaster about how she kept her daughter motivated after trolls came in the way of their celebrations.

“I encouraged my daughter to not pay heed to the trolls, and to my surprise, many social media users even supported my daughter after a couple of days,” she said. Chandra Prakash Nigam, Prachi’s father, said though he and his family were upset about the trolling, he did not pay much attention to it.

“There are all sorts of people in society. We naturally felt bad, but at the same time, we are proud of our daughter for having achieved the maximum marks,” he said. Prachi’s mother also revealed she had planned to seek medical advice for her daughter, “but the results happened, and the trolling came her way before we could take action,” she said.

“Her treatment will now be undertaken by the government,” Prachi’s mother said. Not just Prachi’s family, her school principal and friends also came forward to support her and termed the trolling unfortunate.

“We were already hoping to find Prachi’s name amongst the toppers, and by securing such marks, she has made the entire Uttar Pradesh proud,” her school principal said. The UP Board result was declared on April 20, with the pass percentage for Class 10 at 89.55 and that for Class 12 at 82.60.

As Prachi’s pictures surfaced online, she faced snide remarks for having facial hair. Some trolls even resorted to manipulating the teenager’s photo to conform to stereotypical beauty standards.