The undivided Ballari district has reported an alarming failure rate of 35.59% in the PUC II exams this year, with 9,286 students unable to clear the test.

Out of 27,048 students registered from both Ballari and Vijayanagara districts, 26,093 appeared for the exams. Among them, 16,807 passed while a concerning 9,286 failed. In Ballari, 4,199 of 12,799 students failed; in Vijayanagara, 5,087 of 13,294 students couldn’t make the cut.

More boys failed than girls
Failure rates among boys are significantly higher—of the 12,446 boys who wrote the exam, 5,728 (nearly 53%) failed. Among 13,647 girls, 3,558 failed, indicating a gender gap in performance.

Arts stream hit hardest
The long-held belief that Arts is an easier stream has been turned on its head. Of the 9,493 Arts students, 4,242 (44.7%) failed. In comparison, failure rates were lower in Science (2,433 out of 10,090) and Commerce (2,611 out of 6,510), with Science showing the highest pass percentage.

Why students are failing
The district faces a severe faculty shortage. Only 200 guest lecturers are currently handling duties meant for 400 full-time posts. Many colleges lack permanent principals. Student absenteeism, family migration, lack of supervision at home, and mobile addiction further affect learning. There’s also a widening class gap, with affluent families opting for colleges in other districts—causing a local brain drain.

Officials urge failed students to prepare for Exam-2 with renewed focus. Mental health experts recommend realistic expectations and guiding students into suitable courses.