Lucknow, May 1: A total of 150 schools in Uttar Pradesh recorded a startling zero pass percentage in the recently conducted Board examinations. As per the data released by the Uttar Pradesh Secondary Education Board (UPSEB), no Class X student in 98 schools across the state could clear the examinations. In 53 other institutions, all Class XII students were unsuccessful.

The 150 schools with the dismal performance includes both private and government aided, said UPSEB secretary Neena Srivastava. The Board will take a call on scrapping the licenses of these institute after it resumes operation on Thursday, she added.

The UPSEB had announced a three-day off after declaring the Class 10th and 12th results on Monday.

In terms of district, 17 of the 150 worst performing schools are based in Ghazipur. The eastern UP region had already been declared as "sensitive" by the UP Education Department before the conduct of exams, due to the mass cheatings recorded in the schools of the district in the previous years.

Ghazipur is followed by Allahabad, where six schools have registered a zero pass percentage. Ironically, Allahabad is also the district from where the topper of the state - Anjali Verma - hails.

Meanwhile, five schools each in Bahraich, Mirzapur, Mau and Hardoi have recorded a perfect zero.

The overall pass percentage for Class 10th and 12th was registered as 75.16% and 72.43% respectively -- a sharp fall from 81.6 (class X) and 82.5 (class XII) in 2017. Academicians attribute this to the stern measures adopted by the BJP-led government in the state to clampdown on the "education mafia", which ensured mass cheating apart from leaking the exam papers in the erstwhile years.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 01, 2018 09:48 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).