Bhubaneswar: Nearly ten thousand students who had filled up forms for the High School Certificate (HSC) examination this year did not appear for the tests, according to official figures presented in the State Legislative Assembly.
School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond informed the House, in reply to a question from MLA, that a total of 5,46,876 students had submitted examination forms. Out of which, only 5,36,946 sat for the exams. This leaves 9,930 registered candidates unaccounted for during the examination period, translating to an absenteeism rate of 1.81 percent.
The disclosure has prompted fresh debate on the factors causing such a large number of students to miss one of the most critical board examinations in the state. Previous years have seen similar patterns linked to economic pressures that push adolescents into early wage work, seasonal migration of families, health issues among examinees, and in some cases inadequate support mechanisms after form submission.
The Board of Secondary Education, Odisha conducted the annual High School Certificate examinations this year with several modern safeguards in place, including AI-assisted monitoring and secure question-paper distribution. Despite the smooth administrative conduct of the exams, the absenteeism statistic has once again drawn attention to the broader challenge of ensuring consistent student attendance and completion at the secondary level.
