Guwahati, May 26: Rural schools devoid of even basic infrastructure galloped ahead of urban institutions in the merit stakes of the 2006 matric examination in Assam, reaffirming the adage about adversity being the true test of excellence.

Of the 108 students who secured the first 20 positions in the merit list of the High School Leaving Certificate examination ? declared today ? only 27 were from Guwahati. Indeed, the Guwahati schools that had monopolised the first three slots in recent years were conspicuous by their absence in the list.

The Board of Secondary Education, Assam, which had faced much flak in the wake of a paper leak that led to the postponement of the mathematics paper, pegged the pass percentage at 53.54, a marginal increase over last year?s figure of 53.07. As many as 1,99,786 students sat for the examination and 1,06,983 were successful.

At the top of the heap was Arindam Nath of Nalbari, a backward district that was once the hotbed of militancy. The second, third and fourth positions were taken by Joyshree Sarma of Tezpur, Kangkan Kalita of Soneswar and Mrinmoy Jyoti Bhuyan of Doomdooma. Students from Guwahati captured only two ranks, the fifth and 10th.

Arnobjaan Deka of Axam Jatiya Vidyalaya, who secured the fifth position, said there were ?no shortcuts? to success, whether one is from a village or a city. Son of former legislator Pabindra Deka, Arnobjaan said studying in an Assamese-medium institution had never been an issue for him.

?It never was a source of worry for me. My school encouraged me and my teachers gave me the confidence to excel in studies,? he said.

Another student of the school, Rajdeep Sarma, secured the 17th position. ?Medium of instruction cannot be a hurdle in proving one?s merit. Many students cannot do well in examinations mainly due to lack of a conducive atmosphere,? he said.

As many as 13,352 candidates secured first division marks this year, while 25,815 and 67,812 students passed the examination in the second and third divisions. Only 567 candidates had 85 per cent aggregates and above, while 2,959 garnered star marks (75 per cent mark or above).

A senior board official confirmed that rural schools not only produced toppers, but also improved their overall records. The pass percentage in several backward districts, including flood-ravaged Dhemaji district, crossed 60 per cent.

Nalbari recorded a 63.65 per cent success rate, followed by Barpeta with 61.80 per cent. Sources said districts like Dhubri, Cachar, Tinsukia and Kokrajhar, too, bettered their pass percentages.

The board held out the promise of special incentives to rural schools that threw up meritorious students and improved their success rates.

The results of the Assam High Madrassa Leaving Certificate examination were simultaneously declared. Syed Atikur Rahman of Rangiya Madrassa H.S. School topped the merit list.

Chief minister Tarun Gogoi congratulated all candidates who cleared the two examinations.