Patna: More than 50 per cent of the students appearing in the class 10 exams conducted by the Bihar School Examination Board failed with the pass percentage only 44.66. The results were announced on Sunday.
Due to strict measures against cheating, including CCTV cameras and prohibitory orders against 'unlawful assembly', in conducting the exams in last March, the passing percentage drastically fall this year. Last year, the pass percentage was 75.17 pc.
According to board officials, about 15.73 lakh students appeared in the exams this year and that only 10.86 per cent students passed with first division, 25.46 per cent a second division and 10.32 per cent students passed with third division.
Less than half of the total students who appeared for the examination passed class 10 examinations, showing a sharp drop of 28% compared to the last year's results.
The results declared also showed that all the 42 students- 24 girls and 18 boys, who figure in the top 10 rank list of the class 10 exams belong to the one school -- the Simultala Awasiya Vidyalaya, Jamui. This school was set up after the famous school at Netarhat went to Jharkhand after Bihar's bifurcation in 2000.
Only 44.66 percent pass rate vindicated their bid to conduct a cheating-free exam this time. “We have successfully conducted a cheating free exams that resulted in drastic fall in pass percentage of students,” a senior official told media.
"The results are not as expected. But, they show the actual merit of students. Those who have passed will be able to clear competitive exams," state education minister Ashok Choudhary told media.
This year, CCTV cameras were installed and cops were sent at exam centres to check any unfair means. This was done after photographs of mass cheating at a class X exam centre in Vaishali went viral on the social last year. Use of all communication gadgets, including mobile phones, inside the examination halls was disallowed.
