Cuttack, Nov. 2: A total of 18,188 students have passed the matriculation supplementary exams, the results of which were declared here today.

A total of 57,638 students had appeared the examinations in 333 examination centres across the state. While a little over 44,000 students wrote the exam in regular stream, 10,705 appeared as ex-regular and 1,830 in regular correspondence course.

“The annual supplementary examination results have been announced today with 32.43 per cent students clearing the examination,” said Board of Secondary Education (BSE), Orissa, president Satyakam Mishra.

BSE officials said there has been a gradual decline in the pass percentage with the number being 34.90 per cent in 2010 and 34.63 in 2009.

Of the total 44,643 regular students, 14,242 students have passed while only 3,258 out of the 10,705 ex-regular students managed to pass. Moreover, 55.38 per cent boys have cleared the supplementary examination against 19.50 per cent last year. The pass percent of girls this year is 44.61 percent. Only 133 students have passed the supplementary examination in first division, 993 students in second and 14,969 students in third division.

Adequate measures were also undertaken by the Board officials to ensure a free and fair examination as 1,566 students have been booked for malpractices while the results of three other students were also withheld for resorting to corrupt practices.

Meanwhile, the officials of board of secondary education (BSE),Orissa have said that adequate arrangements will also be made to conduct a free a fair annual high school certificate (HSC) examinations next year.

“Though there were plans to conduct the annual matriculation examination in the month of February, we will have to conduct the exam as usual in the month of March keeping in view the upcoming panchayat elections,” Mishra added.