No dearth of seats in Class XI, assures education secretary

Ranchi: Even though many more students have cracked Class X examinations of various boards this year in comparison to other years, the authorities are confident that those wanting to pursue further studies would get admission in one institution or the other.
Notably, 4,15,924 of 4,33,571 students, who appeared in Class X board examination conducted by the Jharkhand Academic Council (JAC), cleared the test this year. The pass percentage this year was 95.92%, which was a whopping 20.85% better than last year.
While the improved results have made it difficult for many students to get admission in institutions of their choice, the education department claimed that no student would be denied the opportunity of pursuing higher education.
Education secretary Rajesh Sharma said, “We have a flexible approach when it comes to taking admission in our schools. The number of seats could be increased if needed.”
He added that the education department was also planning to start a special drive to enrol students in Class XI to prevent drop-outs.
A JAC source added that, at present, around 5.25 lakh seats were available for students in Class XI in JAC-affiliated Plus-Two schools and colleges.
Experts said that the situation was no different for students of CBSE schools. Nearly 70,000 students in the state passed Class-X exam under CBSE, with a significant proportion notching up more than 90%. Samarjit Jana, the principal of Jawahar Vidya Mandir-Shyamli, said, “There is no dearth of seats for students in Class XI. Many students, however, may not get their choice of subjects.”
Notably, there are 112 secondary schools affiliated to the Council of Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE), but the number, thereafter, drops to 50. Talking about the limited number of seats in the higher secondary section, the regional coordinator for CISCE, Christopher Francis, said, “After Class X, many of our students shift to CBSE-affiliated schools. Moreover, a significant number also move out of the state. I cannot say how things would pan out for our students aiming to take admission in the state.”
As many as 13,640 students passed Class X from CISCE-affiliated schools this year.