Govt: 65 lakh students did not clear Class 10, 12 board exams in 2023

More than 65 lakh students failed to pass their Class 10 and 12 board exams last year, with state boards showing a higher failure rate compared to national boards, according to sources from the Ministry of Education (MoE).

An analysis of exam results from 59 school boards-comprising 56 state boards and three national boards indicated that more girls took the Class 12 exams in government-run schools, while the trend was reversed in private and government-aided schools.

However, in school management, girls are significantly outperforming boys. The pass percentage also favours girls by over six percentage points. 

Approximately 33.5 lakh Class 10 students did not advance to the next grade, with 5.5 lakh candidates absent and 28 lakh failing the exams.

This significant number of non-advancing students contributes to the low retention rate and Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) at the higher secondary level, according to a source quoted by news agency PTI.

Similarly, approximately 32.4 lakh Class 12 students did not complete the grade. Out of these, 5.2 lakh did not appear for the exams, while 27.2 lakh failed.