Bihar School Examination Board chairman Rajmani Prasad Singh releases the results in Patna on Wednesday. Picture by Deepak Kumar

Rima Kumari, daughter of a private college teacher, has scored high in this year’s Intermediate arts (humanities) exam, results of which were declared on Wednesday. Rima, a student of RN Sah Sarvodaya College, Ganjversara, in Rohtas district, scored more than 400 of the total 500 marks.

She said: “It is my dream to join the civil services and if my family can back me financially, I will go to Sasaram or Patna for coaching.” That should not be a problem. Her father Jawahar Rai has always walked the extra mile for his children’s education, teaching mathematics and physics at a coaching centre to supplement his Rs 15,000 salary.

Rima’s elder brother studies at the government polytechnic college and a younger one in Class IX. Living at Dinara, Rima travelled 15km daily, 4km on foot, to her school. Even then, she would study six to eight hours after school.

Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) chairman Rajmani Prasad Singh declared the intermediate arts results on Wednesday. With 19 girls among 20 students securing top 10 positions, the fairer sex has clearly fared better. Other girls who have scored high include Neelam Kumari of MRDIM College Meghoul, Begusarai and Pooja Kumari of TYKS College, Sitamarhi.

Announcing the results, Singh said: “Of 3,67,864 students who wrote the Intermediate arts exam, 1,11,152 students (or 30.21 per cent) secured first division and 50.84 per cent second division.” BSEB secretary Lalan Jha said: “Girls outshined boys even in pass percentage (89.01 to boys’ 82.15 per cent).”

Intermediate vocational course results, too, were declared on Wednesday. The pass percentage was 95.24 per cent.

Girl students have outshone boys even in Intermediate science and commerce. Ankita Singh from College of Commerce secured more than 400 out of 500 marks while Juhi, from Sir Ganesh Dutt Memorial College, Patna, scored over 400 marks in science.