kolkata: Seven subjects in the Part-I (Semester III) Higher Secondary (HS) examinations of 2026 recorded fewer than 100 candidates, with Cyber Security attracting only one examinee. The exams, conducted by the West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education (WBCHSE) between September 8 and 22, saw nearly 6.5 lakh students appearing in 66 subjects.
Cyber Security, introduced in Class XI in 2024-25, made its debut in the HS examinations this year. WBCHSE officials said several students who initially chose the subject later shifted due to the absence of study materials. The Council expects enrolment to grow as resources become available.
The other subjects with fewer than 100 candidates are first language Punjabi (16), Data Science (22), first language Odia (52), second language Nepali (69), first language Telugu (88) and Science of Well-Being (96).
In the last annual HS examination in March 2025, nine subjects had fewer than 100 examinees. French and Gujarati registered two candidates each, while Data Science, Punjabi, Artificial Intelligence, Odia, Telugu, Agriculture and Nepali-B also figured in this category. Following this, WBCHSE discontinued French and Gujarati, while retaining Punjabi following appeals from schools.
Artificial Intelligence and Data Science, introduced separately in 2023-24, struggled to attract students from the outset. Artificial Intelligence, however, saw an increase this year, with 189 candidates compared to 30 in the last annual exam. To consolidate demand, WBCHSE has merged the two into a single paper titled “Artificial Intelligence and Data Science” from the 2025-26 session.
Beyond these, 11 subjects recorded fewer than 1,000 candidates this year. They include Alternative English (816), Santhali (987), Bengali-B (258), Hindi-B (273), Applied Artificial Intelligence (102), Music (804), Visual Arts (355), Journalism and Mass Communication (604), Statistics (439), Persian (733) and Artificial Intelligence (189). Last year, 14 subjects were below the 1,000 mark.
On the low enrolment in certain language subjects, WBCHSE president Chiranjib Bhattacharya said these papers are retained to ensure diversity. “Most candidates opt for Bengali as their first language and English as their second. Naturally, languages like Odia and Telugu see fewer numbers. We continue offering them to provide opportunities for students from other states,” he said.