Year after topper scam, just 35% pass Class XII

PATNA: A year after the Class XII topper scam rocked Bihar and prompted the Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) to initiate preventive measures against unfair practices in its exams, only 35.25% of the 12.4 lakh students could pass the

Class XII examination in 2017

as against 67.66% in 2016.

The overall pass percentage of boys was 55.53% against 44.47% of girls in Science, Commerce and Arts streams.

Khushboo Kumari

of Simultala Awasiya Vidyalaya-Jamui with 86.2% topped the Science stream while Gulshan Kumar of R K M G G College-Samastipur and Kunal Kumar of S S College-Begusarai ranked second with 85.8% each. Priyanshu Nandan of R K Dwarika College-Patna finished third, fetching 85.4%.

In Science stream, the pass percentage of boys was 68.85% while it was 31.15% in case of girls.

College of Commerce, Arts and Science-Patna student Priyanshu Jaiswal’s 81.6% was the highest score in Commerce whereas Pallavi Sinha and Soni Kumari of Gaya College-Gaya obtained 81.4% to share the second rank in the stream. Yamini of Government Women’s College- Gulzarbagh (Patna) stood third with 80.4%.

The pass percentage of boys was 67.38% and that of girls 32.62% in Commerce.

While boys outperformed girls in Science and Commerce, girls outshone boys in Arts, recording a pass percentage of 61.92%. Only 38.08% boys could pass the BSEB’s Class XII examination in Arts stream.

Ganesh Kumar of R N S J N Vidyalaya-Samastipur stood first with 82.6% while Neha Kumari of L N G R S Girls’ High School-Madhubani and Jagriti Sharma of M R J D I College- Begusarai ranked second and third with 81.4% and 81% respectively in Arts.

According to BSEB sources, 8.34% students passed with a first division, 23.65% with a second division and 3.26% with a third division. The first-divisioners include 4.77 boys and 3.57% girls.

BSEB chairman Anand Kishor said the pass percentage went down apparently because of the introduction of barcoding in answer sheets and strict invigilation.

“However, the students who have failed should not think it is the end of their lives. Those eligible for compartmental exam will get another chance to improve their scores. Hard work should be their mantra as there is no shortcut to success,” he said.

The BSEB’s Class XII results last year were marred by allegations of brazen favouritism to help undeserving students top the exam. The scam came to light after the decorated students in TV interviews provided ridiculous answers to questions from their syllabus.

An FIR was later lodged and several BSEB functionaries, including then chairman Lalkeshwar Prasad Singh, were jailed along with certain college officials and students. The results of the ‘toppers’ were also cancelled.