While the results of the board examinations brought smiles to lakhs of faces across the country, the situation wasn't the same in the state of Bihar. Already known for one of the lowest literacy rates in the country, Bihar did itself no favor when the state board declared the class 10th results. According to the results declared by the state board, more than half of the 15.47 lakh students who wrote the class 10th exam, failed to clear the exam. This year's pass percentage is a whopping 28% lower as compared to the last year.
The top 10 merit list announced by the board had 42 students in it. Interestingly, all of them belong to the same school "“ Simultala Awasiya Vidyalaya in the Jamui district of the state.
The class 10th exams in the state gather much negative limelight last year when photographs showing mass cheating went viral online on the social media. Last year, about 75.17% students had managed to clear the exam. This year, there were strict arrangements at all the examination centers in the state.
The drop in the pass percentage is likely due to the stringent anti cheating measures taken up by the board. The state's education minister was quoted as saying, "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,"