Ranchi: Students of arts secured the highest pass percentage of 96.14% in intermediate (Class XII) examinations, whose results were declared by the Jharkhand Academic Council (JAC) on Wednesday.In arts, 2,02,962 students cleared the exam out of 2,11,095 candidates. Commerce students followed with a 93.37% pass rate, with 19,681 of 21,078 examinees successful. Science students recorded a pass percentage of 82.92, with 74,771 successful candidates out of 90,168.In science, boys were marginally ahead with 83.02% pass rate, while girls recorded a pass percentage of 82.76. In arts, 96.68% of girls passed, compared with 95.35% of boys. In commerce, the gap was wider, with 95.70% of girls clearing the exam against 91.59% of boys.A total of 3,22,341 students appeared in arts, commerce and science streams in the exams held from Feb 3 to 24.The merit list showed a broad regional spread, with toppers from Bokaro, Ranchi and Dhanbad. Chhoti Kumari of Bokaro topped arts with 478 marks out of 500. Sweta Prasad of Ranchi secured the top rank in commerce, also with 478. Rashida Naaz of Dhanbad topped in science with 489 marks.JAC chairman Natwa Hansdak congratulated students, teachers and parents for the strong performance and smooth conduct of the exams. He said the dedication and discipline of students made the achievement possible and described the results as a reflection of both individual effort and the support of teachers and families.For students who fell short of expectations, he said failure was only temporary and not the end, calling education a continuous journey.JEPC project director Shashi Ranjan pointed to a wider shift in educational participation, particularly among girls in tribal districts such as West Singhbhum, Palamu, Gumla and Simdega. He said girls were not only enrolling in greater numbers but also staying in the system and performing consistently well. He credited focused state interventions, including the ‘Harsh Johar’ programme, aimed at building confidence, emotional well-being and awareness of girl students in govt schools, for helping sustain motivation and retention.Gumla recorded an exceptional 99.52% pass rate in arts, followed by Simdega with 99.36% and Khunti with 99.46%.In science, Latehar led with a pass percentage of 93.25, followed by Gumla with 91.06 and Koderma with 90.83Commerce results were equally impressive, with Simdega topping at 99.57%, followed by Gumla with 98.43% and Chatra with 97.10%.Director of secondary education Rajesh Prasad credited the achievement to the efforts of students, teachers and parents. He highlighted the role of 80 CM schools of excellence in improving learning outcomes. “These schools are strengthening foundational and skill-based education. We plan to expand the model with 100 more such schools by the end of this year, alongside a focus on mathematics and science through dedicated subject clubs and trained teachers,” he said.
