Delhi Public School, Bokaro, has received 7,000 applications for 400 Class XI seats and (below) Chinmaya School is a big draw for aspirants from outside the city. Pictures by Pankaj Singh

Sample this — 3,000 seats and over 50,000 aspirants. And no, these are not IIT or IIM berths.

Secondary board results out, hotels of Bokaro and Chas are chockfull with students and their parents seeking Class XI admission in reputable CBSE and ICSE schools.

In Bokaro, recognised as one of the best schooling hubs of eastern India with students faring well in IIT-JEE, UPSC, medical entrance and other competitive exams, securing a Class XI berth, the stepping stone of academic success, is a tough nut to crack.

According to the adviser of Delhi Public School (DPS), Bokaro, Hemlata S. Mohan, 7,000 applicants are vying for 300 seats in science and 100 in commerce at this premier CBSE cradle this year.

Last year the figure was 4,000. But she added: “Ultimately, very few seats are left after admitting our internal candidates.”

Mohan, also chairperson of the state women’s commission, said they maintained a transparent admission policy despite the pressure for seats.

Chinmaya School principal Ashok Kumar Singh agreed the rush was more this year. “Thousands of applications have come in for 350 of our seats from not just Jharkhand, but also Bihar and Bengal,” he said, adding that they too had to give priority to their own Class X students.

Singh added Bokaro was sought-after as a plus two hub because the township had “great schools and result-oriented coaching hubs” for engineering and medical entrance tests.

St Xavier’s School, the city’s sole ICSE cradle, Pentecostal Assembly School, Guru Govind Singh Public School, Ayappa Public School, MGM School, Holy Cross School, DAV, Bokaro Public School, Crescent Public School, Sardar Patel School, Saraswati Vidya Mandir, ARS Public School, Kendriya Vidyalaya and BIV schools run by Bokaro Steel Limited, are also flooded with applicants.

Pentacostal Assembly School director D.N. Prasad said his was the only prominent city school to offer plus two arts. “We have 150 seats for science and 50 each for arts and commerce. Every year, we get over 4,000 applications,” he said.

“Undoubtedly, Bokaro is one of the best schooling centres of eastern zone. This is why thousands of students from nearby states start arriving before Class X results arrive,” Pentacostal principal Rita Prasad, also the director’s wife, said.

When contacted, St Xavier’s principal Father Pradip, Ayappa School director S.S. Mahapatra, GGPS School principal J. Thomas and MGM School principal Rezi Oomen were of the same view.

Bokaro Public School principal Hema Biswas pointed out the sole glaring lapse in the city driven by academic excellence. “The city needs hostels badly,” she pointed out.