June 2: The pass percentage of the High School Leaving Certificate examinations (Class X), the results of which were declared today by the Board of Secondary Education, Assam (Seba), stood at 62.2 per cent - a marginal rise compared to last year's 61.42.

The other highlight of the results was the performance of Dhemaji district, which often hits the headlines for its perennial floods. It recorded the highest pass percentage of 78.12, followed by Kamrup (metro) with 77.21 and Nalbari with 75.09. Chirang district in lower Assam was the worst performer with pass percentage of 29.85, followed by Goalpara with 44.95 and Karimganj with 46.83. The overall pass percentage of general candidates stood at 69.76 while those from the tea community were at the bottom at 38.75. With 66.54 pass percentage, boys fared better than girls, who achieved pass percentage of 58.14.

The highest number of letter marks (80 out of 100) received by students was in general science (20,686), followed by Assamese (20,479) and mathematics (19,128).

The candidates did not get their marksheets, as announced yesterday, with officials of the department of higher education attributing the delay to protests among a section of evaluators demanding a hike in evaluation fee.

Ripunjoy Kalita topped the exams in Assam with 97.8 per cent from Gilbert English Medium School from in lower Assam's Barpeta.

Two students from Baksa district figured in the top 10. Ashim Mazumdar of St John High School, Barama, came fourth securing 583 marks (97.16 per cent) while Vivek Jyoti Boro of Shankardev Sishu Neketan, Tamulpur, came tenth securing 577 marks (96.16 per cent)

For the first time, St Anthony's School at Mariani, about 20km from Upper Assam's Jorhat town, which mostly caters to tea community students, achieved a position. Richa Das, the daughter of a railway guard, secured the 10th position.

Absu president Pramod Boro attributed the poor results in the BTAD, especially Chirang district, to continuing disturbance, insufficient teachers, lack of facilities in venture schools.

He also blamed the administration, officials, teachers and political parties. Boro urged the society, especially guardians, to be more conscious. Despite lack of teachers, Bodo medium school results saw an encouraging trend, with 152 students securing first division this year compared to last year's total of 89.

Xatridhikar's sucess

Also hitting the headline was Probin Goswami, a 16-year-old "xatradhikar-in waiting" of Garmur xatra at Majuli in Upper Assam's Jorhat district.

Goswami, who appeared for the examination from Sengalijan High School in Lakhimpur district, managed a "simple pass" but xatra authorities are hopeful that he would fare well in the future. He arrived at Majuli yesterday.

Against all odds

Panita Basumatary managed a simple pass but was happy. "I am satisfied that I managed to clear the examination, though in third division," she said. "When violence hit our area and we were forced to take shelter in a relief camp, I had doubts on whether I would be able to sit for the exam."

Panita stayed in the West Basbari relief camp in Kokrajhar district for over two months after the December 23 violence triggered by the NDFB (S) last year.

Echoing her, Metaldina Hembrom of Kachuagon, who secured second division, said, "It feels nice as our success came after lot of uncertainty following the violence."

Panita and Metaldina are among many students affected by the December violence and later were supported by Nedan Foundation, a Kokrajhar-based NGO. "Out of the 66 matric candidates supported by Nedan Foundation, 34 have cleared their exam," said a Nedan functionary, adding that in the Higher Secondary examination, out of 16 students supported by the foundation, nine came out with flying colours. Likewise, 67 students supported by the Bodoland Students' Union (BSU) with temporary study shelter and free coaching and food were successful.

Candidate commits suicide

Sixteen-year-old Susmita Dey, a student of Vivekananda Vidyapith High School at Lal Ganesh in Guwahati, allegedly committed suicide after failing in the HSLC examination.

Police said she allegedly hanged herself from the ceiling fan with a gamosa at her house on Kanaklata Path at the Lal Ganesh area in Guwahati around 10.30am.

The police said after checking her results at the school, Susmita returned home and straightaway went to her room and locked herself up. Her parents knocked on her door several times and broke her hanging. No suicide note was found. The post-mortem examination was conducted at the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital. The police have registered an unnatural death case.

On Saturday, a student of S.B. Deorah College, Barnali Kalita, had also committed suicide by hanging at her Christianbasti home here after failing her Plus II exam.

Psychiatrist Jayanta Das said intense competition and pressure from parents and the society to do well in exams could be the reason for students taking their own lives.