Students with disabilities have achieved a pass percentage of 89.61 in HSC exams this year. A total of 5,028 such students had appeared for the exams in March this year.
“The number of such students may vary with different types of disabilities, but what is heartening is that they have registered a high pass percentage,” said Gangadhar Mhamane, chairman of the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education.
All 13 autistic children who appeared for the examination have passed.
State board authorities have categorised students according to nine different disabilities. Among them, the highest number was that of those with orthopaedic problems. Out of 2,164 students with such problems, a total of 1,952 passed, registering a pass percentage of 90.20.
Of the 1073 students suffering from dyslexia who appeared for the exams, 1023 passed, registering a pass percentage of 95.34. The visually-challenged students scored a pass percentage of 93.28. A total of 1,175 blind students appeared for the exam, of which 1,096 passed, according to Mhamane.
Among the hearing impaired students, 630 out of 824 passed the exam, their pass percentage being 76.46. Among 109 students having disability of speech, 84 passed the exams.
Seventy out of 78 children with cerebral palsy passed the exam while 75 out of 82 students who are spastics also cleared the exams. A total of 85 out of 93 children who were mentally retarded also cleared the HSC examination.
An additional 20 minutes were given for students with disabilities to complete the examination and an additional 20 grace marks had been set aside for them.
Number of sportspersons taking HSC exams highest in Pune division
As many as 450 sportspersons from Pune division appeared for the HSC examinations, the highest such number across nine divisions. As per a new rule to provide incentives to sports persons, the Board grants 25 additional marks for international sportspersons, 20 for national sportspersons and 15 marks for state-level sportspersons.
A total of 303 sportspersons appeared for the HSC examination in Nagpur, 338 in Nashik, 300 each in Kolhapur and Amravati, 299 in Latur, 294 in Mumbai and 212 in Aurangabad.
A total of 2,537 sportspersons appeared for the HSC exams this year in the state.