HS candidates scan the result sheet at Cotton College in Guwahati on Wednesday. Picture by Biju Boro

Dibrugarh/Guwahati, May 26: The Higher Secondary science examination results threw up a big surprise with three students from Dibrugarh’s Salt Brook Academy grabbing the first three positions.

Another student of the same institute stood eighth, as the boys from Dibrugarh pushed education powerhouse Cotton College down the scale of excellence. The pass percentage of 66.79 also showed a marked improvement from last year’s 63.94.

Six students of Cotton College secured places in the top 10 slots but only from the fifth position onwards, which is considered to be a big setback for the institute, with its history of producing toppers.

Eight out of the 14 candidates who were placed in the top 10 slots are from Upper Assam colleges. Three students from J.B. College, Jorhat, came fourth, ninth and 10th, while a candidate from North Lakhimpur College was placed in the ninth position of the merit list.

Of the 12,229 candidates who appeared for the exam this time, 2,052 were placed in the first division, 4,617 in the second, while 1499 passed in the third division.

An official of the Assam Higher Secondary Education Council, which conducts the examination, said the council worked overtime to ensure that the results were declared earlier than last year.

The results were declared on June 9 in 2003.

The scene at the Salt Brook Academy was of one of joy and celebrations as the students and teachers basked in the glory of the four toppers — Digbijoy Neelim Nath (first), Manas Lahon (second), Utpal Mahanta (third) and Pratosh Paul (eighth).

Surrounded by cheering friends, Digbijoy — who hails from Golaghat — said he would seek admission to St Stephen’s College, Delhi, for honours in physics.

Digbijoy, who stood third in the High School Leaving Certificate examinations, said he was pushed towards greater heights of excellence by his desire to appear for the Union civil services exams.

“After securing the third slot in my 10th exam, I dedicated more hours to studies. But I had not hoped to come first. I must say that I owe this achievement to God, the teachers in my college and over and above my parents,” he said.

Identifying unemployment as the major problem of the state, he said, “We need such courses, which are not only job-oriented but also practical.”

Digbijoy scored 89.6 per cent with letter marks in all subjects. Manas Lahon, whose aggregate fell two short of Digbijoy’s, left for Delhi yesterday.

Third-ranked Utpal Mahanta, too, said that he had decided to seek admission to St Stephen’s College.