Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday attributed the good showing by SC, ST and OBC students in the Class X (matriculation) final exams to “rising social mobility” driven by the state government’s “renewed vision of educational empowerment and social justice in Assam”.

Altogether 2,70,471 of the 4,29,449 students on Friday passed the matric examinations conducted for the first time by the Assam State School Education Board (ASSEB), registering a pass percentage of 63.98 per cent, a sharp drop of 11.72 per cent from 2024.

The pass percentage was 75.70 in 2024 and 72.69 per cent in 2023.

In a long post on X, Sarma revealed how “empowered marginalised communities” have excelled with ST (Plains) students leading the way with a “remarkable” 71.32 pass percentage, outperforming general category students (63.45 per cent).

“This reflects the positive outcomes of focused educational support and the increasing academic confidence among tribal communities,” he said.

The exams were held between February 15 and March 3.

Students belonging to the ST (Hills) category also outperformed the general category students with a 65.86 per cent pass rate, which was “noteworthy considering the historical challenges faced in hill districts with accessibility, resources, and infrastructure”.

Sarma further said the OBC and MOBC students also outshone with 69.64 and 70.78 pass percentage, respectively, a “strong performance from historically backward classes, suggesting that targeted state welfare measures, scholarship schemes, and academic support structures are yielding measurable success”.

Tea tribes students, “traditionally among the most educationally disadvantaged”, also achieved a first by crossing the crucial 50 per cent threshold of pass percentage (51.89 per cent), which Sarma described as a “significant social milestone” reflecting “rising aspirations and outreach efforts in tea garden” areas.

The estimated population of ST, SC and OBC in Assam is 12.45 per cent, 7.15 per cent, and 25 per cent, respectively. Around 70 lakh tea tribes are listed under the OBC in Assam, which has an estimated population of over 3.4 crore.