No surprise, girls get the better of boys

Akash Ghai

Tribune News Service

Mohali, May 22

Girls eclipsed boys in the Class X exams of the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB), the results of which were declared here today. The pass percentage of girls was 63.97, way ahead of the boys’ 52.35. The overall pass percentage was 57.5.

Board chairperson Balbir Singh Dhol said, “This year, no grace marks were given to the students, as decided by various educations boards during a meeting held in New Delhi recently.”

“Last year, the pass percentage (with grace marks) was 72.25. If we don’t take these marks into account, the figure drops to 53.76. In 2015, the pass percentage without grace marks was 48.22 per cent. The result has improved this year,” said Dhol.

He added that 3,30,437 students had appeared in the exams, of which 1,90,001 had been declared passed. As many as 45,734 (13.84%) failed, while 94,271 (28.53%) got reappear. The result of 431 students has been withheld for various reasons.

Shruti Vohra of DAV Public Senior Secondary School, Ropar, topped in the academics category with 98.77 per cent marks (642/650). Amit Yadav (98.62 per cent) and Simmi Kumari (98.31 per cent), both students of Sai Public Senior Secondary School, Ludhiana, stood second and third, respectively.

In the sports category, state-level softball player Amandeep Verma, a student of BCM Senior Secondary School, Ludhiana, stood first with 99.08 percent marks (644/650). His schoolmate, Jyoti Panwar (98.62%), a baseball player, and Nancy (98.31%), a taekwondo player and a student of Playways Senior Secondary School, Patiala, bagged the second and third positions, respectively, in this category. As per the norms, these students were given 15 marks each out of 25 for participation in state-level sports competitions.

The board has announced cash awards for the three toppers in both categories — Rs1 lakh (first), Rs75,000 (second) and Rs50,000 (third).

Total candidates: 3,30,437 

Passed: 1,90,001 

Percentage: 57.5

Girls appeared: 1,46,458

Passed: 93,686

Percentage: 63.97

Boys appeared: 1,83,979

Passed: 96,315

Percentage: 52.35

Vegetable supplier’s daughter tops 

Shruti Vohra, daughter of a vegetable supplier from Ropar, topped the Class X exam in the state. The student of DAV Public Senior Secondary School, Ropar, got 642 marks out of 650 (98.77%). She said the credit for her achievement went to her parents and teachers. Also active in extracurricular activities, she had been declared best cadet by the National Cadet Corps. Shruti wants to become an engineer and has already started attending non-medical classes. Principal Sandeep Pathak said a student of the school had stood third in the state in Class X in 2005.

Supplementary exam from June 24

Education Minister Aruna Chaudhary announced on Monday that the supplementary examination of the students placed under compartment in Class X would begin on June 24 “so as to save their precious year.”  She said the result would be declared by July 31, which would enable students to take admission in the next class or a new course. Earlier, the board used to conduct the supplementary exams in August-September. The minister said the teachers who would take extra classes of students placed under compartment after school hours or during summer holidays would be honoured.

Two’s company 

Amit Yadav and Simmi Kumari, both students of Sai Public Senior Secondary School, Ludhiana, bagged the second and third positions, respectively, in the academic category. Amit, whose father Shiv Nandan Yadav manufactures nuts and bolts, wants to become a doctor. Simmi has chosen commerce as she is keen to become a CA (chartered accountant). Her father, Shiv Shankar, runs a grocery store.

Merit list: Ludhiana leads the pack

In the provisional merit list of 379 (cutoff of 95.38 per cent marks), Ludhiana topped among the districts with 113 students, followed by Patiala (52) and Sangrur (27). Mohali and Fazilka brought up the rear with just two students each on the list. Last year, too, Ludhiana was on top with 121 students. In terms of pass percentage, Gurdaspur district stood first (86.87), followed by Amritsar (83.95). Sangrur finished at the bottom with a pass percentage of 42.85, marginally better than Mohali (44.73). Urban students’ pass percentage (57.93) was a bit better than that of rural ones (57.28).