City betters its score by 2.13%...

The state's overall performance in the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) exams went up by 2.9 per cent this year, compared to that of 2016, as it recorded an overall pass percentage of 89.50 per cent. The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) declared the HSC results on Tuesday afternoon. The Mumbai division ranked last, recording a pass percentage of 88.21 per cent, although it bettered its own performance as compared to last year by 2.13 per cent.

For the sixth consecutive year, Konkan division recorded the best pass percentage with a 95.20 per cent success rate. Kolhapur division stood second with 91.40 per cent, followed by Pune division with 91.16 per cent.

Graphics: Anil Kokitkar

A total of 14,29,478 students appeared for the exam, which was conducted in February and March 2017, of which 89,29,89 were boys and 63,64,89 were girls. About 3,17,328 students appeared from the Mumbai region. Like in the last few years, girls outshined boys with a total pass percentage of 93.05 per cent.

The examination was conducted in 162 different subjects, of which 11 subjects have got a 100 per cent pass percentage. While the Science stream recorded a pass percentage of 95.85 per cent, Commerce saw a success rate of 90.57 per cent. The pass percentage for Arts was at 81.91 percent.

Officials at the Mumbai division of the Board blamed the increase in the number of students, and in the number of private candidates, for the poor performance.

"About 22.18 per cent of the total number of students in Maharashtra appeared from the Mumbai division. This is a huge number, much higher than that of the other divisions. This also means that the number of repeaters we get are equally high. The other problem with Mumbai is that there is a vast difference in the number of students that register (3,17,615) for the exams and the number that actually appear for them (3,17, 328). All these factors lead to a decrease in the overall pass percentage," said Dattatray Jagtap, Secretary, Mumbai divisional board.