Sanket Omprakash Dusad of Deogini College, Aurangabad, topped the general merit list as well as vocational courses, securing 97.67 per cent while Rinku Dilip Kale stood first in the state in the science stream with 90 per cent. She is a student of the Mahatma Gandhi College, Ahmedpur district, Latur.

Jyoti Sureshkumar Agrawal of the JES College notched up 87.50 per cent to top the state list of minimum competency-based vocational courses. Dayanand Science College, Latur, churned out yet another state topper this year in the form of Shilpa Sidaramesh Kudarikar, who topped the list of girl students in the state. She scored 97.33 per cent.

Vivek Dilip Kokane of Rajarshee Shahu College topped in the state among students from the backward classes. He scored 97 per cent and is also from Rajashree Shahu College.

This was the first HSC examination held afterthe Marathwada Region HSC-SSC board was bifurcated into Aurangabad and Latur divisions. While Aurangabad division's jurisdiction extends to Jalna, Beed and Parbhani, the districts of Osmanabad and Nanded have been attached to Latur. It was generally believed that with Latur district taken away from Aurangabad division, the jewel in the crown had been removed. Latur has a tradition of churning out state toppers at the HSC examination through a system of exam preparation that has now become famous as the `Latur pattern'.

However, students from Aurangabad put up a brave fight and captured the prestigious positions, that of state toppers in the general merit list and the minimum competency for vocational courses.

Board Chairperson, Govind Shende, releasing the results today said, the passing percentage for Aurangabad board is 39.88 per cent. In all 69,167 registered for the examination, of which 65,936 appeared and 26,294 were declared passed.

NASHIK: Swapnil Vishnu Pawar from KRT College, Nashik, toppedthe HSC merit list . Swapnil secured 95 per cent (570 out of 600), while Arti Kamlakar Dighe from the same college stood second, securing 93.83 per cent.