HS results: Stellar pass percentage across Bengal

Kolkata: As many as 19 candidates from the city have found place on the merit list of top ten rankers of the Higher Secondary (HS) Examination this year, which saw a rise in the overall pass percentage compared to 2018.

Unlike the Madhyamik Examination where one student from the city managed to secure a rank, Kolkata students have put up a fair show in the Higher Secondary, the result of which was published on Monday by the West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education (WBCHSE).

Out of 137 candidates whose names have featured on the list, 19 are from the city. East Midnapore has recorded the highest pass percentage at 94.19, followed by Kolkata, West Midnapore, Kalimpong, Howrah and South 24-Parganas. This is for the first time in the history of HS examination that so many students have found position on the merit list.

The city has registered a pass percentage of 91.41, with West Midnapore at 90.94 percent, Kalimpong at 90.49 percent, Howrah at 88.81 percent and South 24-Parganas at 88.61 percent. Meanwhile, Hooghly, North 24-Parganas, Jhargram, Darjeeling, North Dinajpur, Nadia, Purulia and Murshidabad registered pass percentages of 88.83, 87.66, 86.08, 85.46, 85.39, 84.90, 84.85, 84.63 respectively.

Around 42.39 percent have secured 60 percent and above in the examination. Shovan Mandal from Birbhum Zilla School and Rajarshi Barman from Jenkins School in Cooch Behar have jointly bagged the first rank, by scoring 498 marks (99.6%). Sanjukta Bose from Bidhannagar Govt High School in the city got the second rank, along with five others. A total of 7,818 students have scored 90 percent and above.

A total of 7,26,054 students had enrolled for the examination this year, out of which 7,19,401 appeared for the examination. The pass percentage among the male candidates stood at 87.44, with the percentage for female candidates at 85.30. The average pass percentage is 86.29. The pass percentage has gone up significantly compared to last year, when the overall pass percentage was recorded at 83.75.

In some recent years the students from the districts have performed better than the city students. Educationists often point out that students from the districts are less exposed to social media and the outside world, which is why they score better. Among the city's rankers, Shreyashri Sarkar from Taki House (Govt Sponsored) Multipurpose Girls High School has secured fourth position, with 98.4% marks.

After publishing the results, president of WBCHSE Mahua Das said: "It's a record result in the exam. The students have become more conscious nowadays, which has been reflected in the results. There has been a healthy competition among the schools. In an unprecedented incident, many students have found place on the merit list. We have conducted district-wise orientation programmes, which are bringing results. Teachers are giving time to the students separately."