HSC results: Amravati up at 3rd spot in Maha, Nagpur 8th

Nagpur: Vidarbha's two divisions told contrasting stories in this year's Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) results declared on Saturday, with Amravati improving by two rankings to finish third in the state, while Nagpur division (88.67%) remained rooted at eighth position for the third consecutive year, continuing a worrying pattern of stagnation.Out of the nine divisions under the state education board, Amravati's rise is the sharper narrative. Amravati division improved its state ranking despite a marginal dip in its overall pass percentage of 90.92%. Girls outshone boys by a significant margin, continuing a consistent trend across all five districts of the division. Buldhana district dominated within the division, pushing perennial frontrunner Washim to second place. Amravati district finished last within the division. Officials say the improved rankings are a result of the state govt's continuous efforts to improve the quality of education, through interventions like teachers' skill upgrade, bringing in digital classrooms at many places and focusing on concept clarity.Science stream students across the division recorded the strongest performance, while vocational stream lagged. Nagpur division's performance, by contrast, continues to concern educators. Finishing eighth among nine divisions, ahead of only Latur. Girls again outperformed boys by a wide margin in Nagpur division. Within the division, Nagpur district led the pack while Gadchiroli recorded the lowest pass percentage. Officials have attributed the dip partly to stricter evaluation standards this year, saying tighter assessment criteria more accurately reflect students' actual understanding.Statewide, Konkan division retained the top position, followed by Pune in second. Amravati's jump from fifth to third was among the most significant upward movements in the rankings this year, in contrast with Nagpur's continued stagnation near the bottom of the table.