Ranchi: More than 37,000 students, marked as failed in this year’s matriculation in Jharkahand, have now cleared the examination.

This happened after Jharkhand Academic Council (JAC) revised the pass percentage from 59.91 to 67.91 on its website late on June 1, citing a tabulation gaffe.

This surprise occurred as the eastern Indian state recorded an all-time low success rate.

At Project High School in Chanho block of Ranchi, 35 out of 200 candidates flunked the exam, according to the results declared on May 30. But now, more than six are expected to have gained pass marks, considering that they cleared their optional language even if they didn’t in English, which is compulsory.

“My aggregate was 55 percent and the matriculation pass percentage is 33. But, I was marked as failed because I failed in English. Rules say since I scored 43 in my optional language Sanskrit, I should pass. The council has made necessary amends I hear,” said Sumita Khalkho, a student of the school.

At the upgraded high school in Kuruguttu, Kanke, many of the 150-plus matriculation examinees are expected to shed the shame of failure.

“Many students had complained that the tabulation agency hadn’t followed the language rule while assessing whether a candidate had cleared the exam. Fortunately, JAC has made amends before mark sheets were issued,” said a teacher of the high school.

Examination controller of Ranchi zilla school Mahendra Kumar said around a dozen students of the cradle were likely to benefit.

More than 4.63 lakh students had appeared for the matriculation this year, a large chunk of them from the 158-odd state schools in Ranchi.

District education officer Ratan Mahawar said the exact number of students in Ranchi whose results would change were yet to be ascertained, but at least seven schools from Bero, Itki, Kanke and Chanho had called him to inform about the tabulation glitch.

In Bokaro, Vikkey Kumar of R Singh High School is relieved to have finally cleared his matriculation. The son of a tea vendor said he hadn’t had a square meal since the results were announced on May 30. His aggregate was 158 out of 500 because he had scored very low in English.

“After revision, my score will leap to 197 because I fetched 45 marks in Sanskrit, my optional language. I am very happy now,” said the 17-year-old who aspires to be an engineer.

In East Singhbhum too, there were many students who stand to benefit from the score revision. Among them is Vicky Mandal, a student of People’s Academy in Baradwari.

“Till yesterday, I felt disappointed to think I would have to repeat class. Today, we discussed at home my plans to seek admission to Jamshedpur Workers’ College,” he said.

Vicky has scored 35 in Hindi, 25 in English and 35 in Sanskrit, said headmaster of People’s Academy Chandradip Pandey. “Revision of scores will award him pass percentage,” Pandey added.

JAC chairman Arvind Prasad Singh said once the results were sorted out, mark sheets would be sent to respective districts.

(Source: telegraphindia.com)