Pune: Strict measures to curb copying, including nearly 91% CCTV camera coverage and the use of drones and other technologies, led to a 2% decline in the Maharashtra HSC results for 2026 compared to the previous year. Out of the 14.33 lakh students who appeared for the examination, 12.86 lakh successfully cleared the assessment, resulting in a pass percentage of 89.8%.
Two students achieved a perfect score of 100% marks. The results were officially declared by the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education on Saturday.
Decline in Top Scorers
The number of students scoring 90% and above decreased this year. A total of 7,510 students fell into this category, which is 842 fewer than last year's count of 8,352. This figure also represents the lowest number of high achievers in the last three years.
Division-wise Performance
Among the nine administrative divisions in Maharashtra, the Konkan division, which has fewer students, topped the list with a pass rate of 94.1%. The Pune division secured the second rank with an overall pass percentage of 91.3%, a significant improvement from its sixth-place position last year.
In contrast, the Latur division recorded the lowest results in the state at 84.1%. Sudhakar Telang, who heads the division, attributed this decline to the successful implementation of copying-free initiatives. The Kolhapur division saw its pass rate fall to 89.9%, a decline of 3.7% compared to last year, followed by the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar division at 88.7%, with a decline of 3.5%.
Stream-wise Analysis
While the pass percentage fell across all streams, the commerce stream experienced the most significant drop of 5.65%, from 92.7% in 2025 to 87% in 2026. The arts stream logged the lowest pass percentage at 78%, while the science stream topped with a success rate of 96.4%.
