Ranchi/Jamshedpur, May 31: Cheers died in the throat as Jharkhand Academic Council (JAC) declared this year’s intermediate results today.

Students across the state fared poorly with the pass percentage in all three streams touching a five-year low. The success rate in science was a dismal 30.33 per cent while 58.99 cleared the exam from the commerce stream. Arts saw this year’s highest pass percentage of 61.78.

In 2009, the percentage of science students who cleared the test was 50.39 while that of commerce and arts were 78.53 and 81.12, respectively. In 2008, the success rate in science was 50.29, that in commerce was 73.28 and that in arts was 72.35.

Chief secretary Ashok Kumar Singh, HRD secretary Sudhir Prasad and JAC chairperson Laxmi Singh declared the Class XII results in the capital at 4.30pm.

Of 84,784 science students who appeared for the exam, 1,572 secured first division. In commerce, 612 of 43,788 got first division and the figure was 592 for arts.

While girls beat boys in commerce and arts subjects, it was vice versa in case of science. In commerce, pass percentage of girls stood at 69.41 against 54.70 of boys. Similarly, in arts, the success rate of girls was 64.95 per cent against 58.23 per cent in case of boys. In science, however, 30.80 per cent boys succeeded compared to 28.84 per cent girls.

“Evaluation has been fair and the low pass percentage, especially in science, exposes the academic scenario in the state. A reality check of facilities in all colleges needs to be done and we will do so soon,” said Laxmi Singh.

JAC chairperson Laxmi Singh, chief secretary AK Singh and HRD secretary Sudhir Prasad release intermediate results in Ranchi on Monday; (Manik Bose and Bhola Prasad)

In backward districts like Chatra, Simdega, Jamtara and Pakur, the success rate was poorer than poor. Some 15 per cent cleared the exam. “The state lacks adequate number of intermediate colleges. There are 250 instead of 400 statewide. In backward districts, the number is fewer. We will encourage initiatives to open colleges there,” Prasad said.

JAC also released results of intermediate vocational courses and Madhyama (Sanskrit) examinations today.

In East Singhbhum, only 28.21 per cent boys and 18.24 per cent girls cleared the exam from the science stream.

The success rate in commerce was comparatively better with 63.39 per cent boys and 77.58 per cent girls clearing the test. In arts, the figures were 57.88 per cent for boys and 64.22 per cent for girls.

To add to the woes, some colleges in the district did not receive a part of their results due to technical fault. “We haven’t received science scores. JAC has promised to send the same within five days. But it is difficult to convince students,” said Mohammad Riyaz, controller of examination, Karim City College.

According to available results, Sudeep Bera of Central Karimia High School has topped the district in science with 383 marks out of 500. Neha Chhapolia of Jamshedpur Women’s College topped in commerce with 366 and Mousumi Das of Rajendra Inter College topped in arts with 344.

“Performance has been extremely poor, particularly in science. We are compelled to think where we went wrong in preparing our students,” a teacher in Jamshedpur said.