PRAYAGRAJ:The dominance of smaller districts continued on the top five ranks with students from Farrukhabad, Pratapgarh, Ambedkar Nagar, Mau, Saharanpur, Etawah, Fatehpur and Gonda bagging these ranks. Notably, no major city, including Prayagraj, featured prominently in the top 10, except one student from Kanpur at the seventh position. This consistent pattern across both examinations underscores the growing academic strength of smaller districts.Class X: Barabanki girl ranks second with 97.5% marksIn Class In Class XII, Nandani Gupta from Sarvodaya Jankalyan Inter College, Bareilly, and Shriya Verma from Maharani Laxmi Bai Memorial Inter College, Barabanki, shared the second rank with 97.2% marks. Surbhi Yadav from Sarvodaya Jankalyan Inter College, Bareilly, and Puja Pal from Maharani Laxmi Bai Memorial Inter College, Barabanki, were joint third with 97% marks. UP Board secretary Bhagwati Singh cited the smooth and transparent conduct of examinations as a key factor behind this year’s results. Under state government’s “copy-free examination” initiative, a series of technological and administrative reforms were implemented, he said. In a first, digital attendance of students and teachers was ensured through an online portal and mobile application, enhancing transparency. Class XII practical examinations were conducted under geo-fencing, with examiners marking attendance through geo-tagged photographs and OTP-based verification. Singh said security measures were further strengthened with the installation of jammers at sensitive centers to curb unfair means. Answer sheets were redesigned in A4 format with enhanced security features, while marksheets were printed on tamper-proof paper with special monograms visible under sunlight. Additionally, marks from evaluation centers in cities like Meerut, Varanasi and Gorakhpur were uploaded daily to the board’s portal, ensuring accuracy and speed in result compilation. Singh added that these reforms, combined with the consistent performance of students from smaller districts, reflect a transforming educational ecosystem in Uttar Pradesh where excellence is no longer confined to major urban centres.
