EXPRESS NEWS SERVICEMUMBAI, JUNE 27A SOLAPUR boy, Maniyar M Tanveer M Usman, has topped the SSC Board examinations with 96.40 per cent marks to his credit for 1996-97.He is reported to be the first ever Muslim to have got the highest in the SSC examinations.The Mumbai topper, Advait Deepak Karande (92.93 per cent) from Balmohan Vidyamandir, Dadar, stands third in the overall state merit list. Prashant Vishwanath Sarasate from Aurangabad came second with 94.26 per cent marks.The overall pass percentage in the state is 43.21. A total of 12,73550 candidates appeared for the SSC examinations held in March this year and 550264 students were declared successful.

While Mumbai has the highest pass percentage of 55.09 per cent; students of Amravati division fared the poorest with a pass percentage of 29.81.

Among thegirl students, Usha Agashe from Latur, in the Aurangabad division, topped the list with 94.13 per cent; while Aditi R Pusalkar (92.53 per cent) from Smt N G Purandare High School in Mulund, was the among girls from the Mumbai Division.

As is the case every year, this year again, the state girls have performed better than boys. Of the 4,83,145 females who appeared for the exams, 2,29,461 passed (47.08 per cent); while of the 7,90,405 boys who appeared, only 3,20,803 cleared the exams, keeping the pass percentage at 40.59 per cent.

A total of l 23,739 students secured distinction (above 75 per cent), while 1,16,183 got first class. A total of 2,67,811 secured second class and 1,42,531 candidates barely managed to pass in the state board examination.

At the SSC toppers' felicitation function in the city today, Education Minister Sudhir Joshi said that more and more scholars were opting for the science stream in their higher education.

The minister, however, added that ``Engineering and medicine are not the only career options one can choose these days. There are far more options for the students today.''

Amongst the backward class candidates Yuvraj Basvant Ghodke from the Aurangabad division was the top scorer with 90.93 per cent marks. Amitkumar Khandekar of Shri Vani Vidyalaya High School in Kalyan, was the Mumbai divisional topper amongst the backward classes with a score of 89.20 per cent.

The two city schools that produced the maximum number of top notchers (seven each) are Balmohan Vidyamandir, Dadar, and Smt Sulochanadevi Singhania School, J K Gram, in Thane. Five of the other merit rankers in the state are the students ofIES English medium high school, also from Dadar.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.