Kolhapur divison slips to sixth spot from last year’s second

Kolhapur: The Kolhapur division slipped to sixth place in the Maharashtra HSC results this year, recording a pass percentage of 89.97%, a drop of 3.7 percentage points compared to last year, when it had ranked second in the state.The Kolhapur division, comprising Kolhapur, Sangli and Satara districts, traditionally figures among the top four divisions. However, this year it fell behind Konkan, Pune, Amravati, Nashik and Mumbai divisions. Konkan topped the state with a pass percentage of 94.14%, followed by Pune (91.25%), Amravati (90.92%), Nashik (90.72%) and Mumbai (90.08%).The results were announced by board secretary Anuradha Mhetre, assistant secretary Gajanan Ukkarde, accountant Praniti Jamdagni and senior supervisor Manoj Shinde, in the presence of Kolhapur division chairman Rajesh Kshirsagar, who was present online. Last year, the division had posted a pass percentage of 93.64%.Explaining the decline, chairman Rajesh Kshirsagar said the results reflected stricter monitoring and correction of previously inflated scores. "Kolhapur and Satara districts have performed well with around a 90% pass rate, but Sangli has recorded only 86%. Extensive CCTV coverage and online monitoring of exams through invigilators' mobile phones in each classroom helped prevent malpractices," he said.The Kolhapur division has 1,019 junior colleges, with examinations conducted at 177 centres. District-wise, Kolhapur recorded a pass percentage of 91.86%, with 43,946 students clearing the exam out of 47,838 who appeared. Sangli posted the lowest result in the division at 86.1%, with 26,527 students passing out of 30,806 examinees. Satara district recorded a pass percentage of 90.89%, with 28,925 students passing out of 31,824 who appeared.Gender-wise results showed girls once again outperforming boys. Girls achieved a pass percentage of 94.81%, while boys recorded 85.52%, a gap of 9.29 percentage points.Senior educationist Bharat Kharate attributed the declining performance to changing student priorities. "Students now believe that merely passing the HSC is sufficient, as their careers depend largely on entrance exam scores. They focus on competitive exams and neglect descriptive answer writing for HSC. Policymakers need to acknowledge this reality and reform the examination system accordingly," he said.