Banaskantha district tops with highest pass percentage in GSHSEB Class 10, 12 exams
Banaskantha, one of the largest districts after Kutch, has been the outlier in Gujarat with the highest pass percentage in both Class 10 and 12 examinations of the Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSHSEB).
The district's pass percentage rose from 66.62 per cent in 2023 to 89.29 per cent in 2025 in the Class 10 exams; and from 79.38 per cent in 2023 to 97.2 per cent this year in Class 12 (General stream) exams.
The GSHSEB Class 10 exam results were declared on Thursday. Out of a total of 41,637 students who appeared in the Class 10 board exams, 37,178 cleared — recording a pass percentage of 89.29 against the state's percentage of 83.08. This was 86.23 per cent in 2024 and 66.62 per cent in per cent in 2023.
In Class 12 General stream, Banaskantha recorded the highest pass percentage of 97.2 against the state's 93.07 per cent. Out of the 20,500 students from the district, who appeared in the Class 12 exams, 19,821 passed. This was 94.61 per cent in 2024 and 79.38 per cent in 2023.
While the district authorities claimed that measures taken in the last two years have led to the improvement in the results, experts believe that changes in the question paper format — with 24 out of 80 marks allotted for objective questions — has also resulted in better performance by students.
'…The major improvement has been witnessed among students of government schools. While students would stop coming to schools month and a half before the exams would commence earlier, we made sure they continue attending schools right till a day before the exams,' Banaskantha District Eduction Officer (DEO) Hitesh Patel told The Indian Express.
To prepare students for the exams, the district education department also made students solve question papers, apart from providing them helping material.
'An initiative named 'Safalta nu Panchamrut' was taken this year for English as results in the subject were poor in the district. Subject experts were roped in under the initiative of 'Pariksha Nu Path Darshak'. They were available 24×7 on call,' the DEO stated. Further, to ensure teachers could help students, the education department ensured they were not roped in administrative works during the exams.
The state Education Department added that during the recent appointment of teachers and principals for government schools, vacancies were filled on a priority basis in Banaskantha and Kutch, where the shortage was the highest. The district has a total of 662 schools — 171 government, 190 grant-in-aid and 272 private. Out of around 3,000 teachers, 800 are posted at these government schools.
Though a notification is awaited, Banaskantha district was divided on January 1, to create a new district of Vav-Tharad, with its headquarters in Tharad. It was carved out of the western part of the former Banaskantha district.
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