Nagpur Division Tanks in SSC Rankings Again, But Officials Call It ‘Correct' Evaluation

Time of India

13-05-2025

Nagpur: For the second consecutive year, Nagpur division has found itself at the bottom of the
Maharashtra State Board
's Senior Secondary Certificate (SSC) results. With a pass percentage of just 90.78% in 2025, it ranks ninth among all nine state divisions, raising concern among educators, parents, and students alike.
On the other hand, board officials have defended the score, calling it a 'righteous' evaluation.The dip in performance follows a pattern observed over recent years. While Nagpur recorded 97% in 2022, the numbers dropped to 92.05% in 2023, and have now declined further. This downward trend is alarming when compared to other divisions like Konkan, which topped the chart this year with a 98.82% pass percentage. Kolhapur followed with 96.87%, Mumbai with 95.84%, and Pune with 94.81%. Nagpur's position is particularly concerning given the large number of students who appeared from the division, over 1.46 lakh. However, education officials in Nagpur are not viewing the numbers in a negative light. Speaking to the media on Tuesday, divisional board chairman Chintaman Wanjari defended the drop in scores and emphasised the success of the division's strict anti-cheating measures. "The 'Copymukti' campaign has been executed with remarkable efficiency. We've curbed rampant cheating and other malpractices that used to go unnoticed in the past," he said. Wanjari stressed that the dip in the pass percentage is a direct result of more transparent and disciplined examination procedures. Though he refrained from commenting on why other divisions did not show similar trends, he maintained that Nagpur's results reflect integrity and a long-term vision for quality education. "This is not a failure — it's a necessary correction," he added.Echoing this view, Ashok Gavankar, general secretary of VIJUCTA (Vidarbha Junior College Teachers' Association), remarked that the low percentage should be viewed as an indicator of academic honesty. "This is not a decline in student ability but a rise in evaluation standards. Malpractices were checked more rigorously this time, and it shows," he explained. However, not everyone is completely convinced. A senior high school principal from Nagpur, who requested anonymity, welcomed the stricter evaluation system but raised concerns about the pace of the process. "Evaluations were conducted in a rush, and that might have affected the accuracy of the results," she said. While she agreed that tough assessment is good in the long term, she also emphasised the need for enough time and resources to ensure fair evaluation. Gavankar also pointed to deeper, systemic issues within the educational structure, particularly the excessive administrative workload placed on teachers. "Most teachers are so busy with clerical tasks that they don't get enough time to focus on teaching. This impacts student learning. If left unaddressed, we'll be producing degree holders without essential understanding or skills," he warned.Despite the disappointing numbers, officials insist that the focus must remain on long-term academic integrity. The Nagpur division's approach, they argue, may initially result in lower scores, but will ultimately foster a more robust, honest, and skill-oriented education system.