Patna: Pushpanjali Kumari of Simulatala Awasiya Vidyalaya in Jamui and Sabreen Praween of Uchh Madhyamik Vidyalaya Chhaurahi in Vaishali jointly emerged as the toppers in the Matriculation examination, the results of which were announced by the Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) on Sunday. Both the girls topped the merit list by scoring 492 marks out of 500, which is 98.4%.Following them closely, Nahid Sultana of R Krit High School Banwaripur, Begusarai secured the second rank with 489 marks (97.8%). The third rank is shared by Anupa Kumari of Uchh Madhyamik Vidyalaya Kharahana, Buxar and Om Kumar of BSS High School Rajwara, Begusarai, both scoring 488 marks (97.6%). Of the 13 students bagging the top five ranks, seven are girls while six are boys.Appreciating the board’s efforts, education minister Sunil Kumar said, “Just like in the Intermediate examinations, in Class X too the number of girls is higher and more girls have passed the examination. As always, the Bihar Board has released the results early this time as well. Boards from other states came here earlier in 2023 to study the technology being used by the Bihar Board, and some state boards, especially those of Rajasthan and Goa, started implementing these best practices in their own states. BSEB was also conferred the Prime Minister’s Excellence Award a few years ago.”Kumar also encouraged the students who flunked to reappear for the exam and appealed to their parents not to put mental pressure and stress on their kids.In terms of the number of toppers, Aurangabad district has emerged with the highest number, contributing 14 students to the merit list. Begusarai follows closely with 13 toppers. Samastipur and Sheikhpura have nine toppers each, while Buxar, Bhojpur and West Champaran have seven each. Banka, Nawada and Gaya have six toppers each.Board chairman Anand Kishor said the BSEB has achieved another historic milestone by declaring the matric results in a record 28 days. “Bihar Board has released both inter and matric results in the month of March. This year also we adopted several new technologies and software, which speed up the evaluation work. We introduced a series of technological advancements, including the usage of pre-printed barcode and litho code answer copies, speeding up the evaluation process through computerisation,” he said.“A total of 139 students are figured in the top 10 rank holders. Five students, including four girls, are in the top three. The top five comprises 13 students, including seven boys. There are 126 students ranked between 6th and 10th,” Kishor said.All the top 10 scorers will be felicitated by the Board. The first rank holder will receive Rs 2 lakh, the second rank Rs 1.5 lakh and the third rank Rs 1 lakh. Students securing 4th to 10th ranks will each receive Rs 20,000. All awardees will also get a laptop, a certificate of appreciation and a medal.Additionally, the Board has increased the “Bihar School Examination Committee Dr Rajendra Prasad Medha Scholarship”. Top 10 rank holders will now receive Rs 2,000 per month. They can avail themselves of this scholarship for two years (Class 11 and 12) or until the completion of a technical diploma course, provided they continue regular studies in a recognised govt institution.The board chairman said students who are not satisfied with their marks can apply for scrutiny of their answer sheets. The online application for scrutiny will be available from April 1 to 7. The board has also opened the online examination forms for the Matriculation Special Examination 2026 and Matriculation Compartmental Examination 2026 from April 1 to 7.The BSEB has set a target to declare the results of these examinations by May 31 so that students do not lose an academic year and can take admission in higher classes in the upcoming session.Meanwhile, CM Nitish Kumar has extended his heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to all the students who passed the matriculation examination. He said that this year two female students have jointly topped the examination, and the overall performance of girl students has been very good.The CM described the excellent performance of girls as a great example of women’s empowerment and credited the state govt’s various schemes for boosting girls’ confidence and progress.
