From Top to Bottom: Cachar Replaces Sribhumi as Lowest Performer in HSLC Results

The results of the High School Leaving Certificate Examination 2026 Assam have been declared on Friday (April 10), with Cachar emerging as the lowest-performing district in the state. Notably, among the bottom three districts, Cachar is the only one from the Barak Valley to feature on the list.

According to official data, in Cachar, a total of 25,961 students appeared for the examination this year. Of them, 12,755 passed while 13,206 failed, resulting in a pass percentage of 49.13 per cent, the lowest in the state. In comparison, across Assam, 4,29,249 students appeared for the examination, out of which 2,81,701 cleared it, taking the overall pass percentage to 65.62 per cent.

Among the top-performing districts, Dima Hasao secured the highest position with a pass percentage of 88.23 per cent, followed by Sivasagar at 84.08 per cent, and Dibrugarh at 78.46 per cent. These figures stand in sharp contrast to the performance of the Barak Valley districts.

In the Barak Valley, which comprises Cachar, Sribhumi and Hailakandi, the results present a mixed picture. While Sribhumi performed relatively better, the overall performance of the region lagged behind the state’s top performers.

The bottom three districts in the state are Cachar at 49.13 per cent, followed by Bongaigaon at 49.62 per cent, and Dhubri at 50.02 per cent. Among them, Cachar is the only district from the Barak Valley, highlighting a concerning dip in its performance.

Hailakandi also recorded a relatively low performance with a pass percentage of 51.81 per cent. It stands just above Dhubri and Baksa, placing it as the fifth lowest-performing district in the state.

On the other hand, Sribhumi emerged as the best performer within the Barak Valley. With a pass percentage of 66.26 per cent, it surpassed the state average of 65.62 per cent. Although Sribhumi does not feature among the top three or even the top ten districts, its performance remains comparatively better within the region.

A comparison of division-wise performance further highlights the gap between the top-performing districts and those in the Barak Valley. Dima Hasao recorded 1,553 first division holders out of a much smaller candidate pool, showing a high concentration of top scorers. Sivasagar and Dibrugarh performed even more strongly in absolute terms, with 3,006 and 4,470 first division holders respectively, alongside consistently high numbers in second divisions. Their third division numbers remain comparatively controlled, indicating stronger overall academic performance.

In contrast, the Barak Valley districts show a different pattern. Sribhumi leads the region with 4,000 first division holders, followed by Cachar with 4,350, which is actually the highest in the valley despite its low overall pass percentage. Hailakandi trails with 1,722 first divisions. In terms of second divisions, Cachar again records the highest at 6,812, followed by Sribhumi at 6,281 and Hailakandi at 2,919. For third divisions, Cachar also tops the list with 1,593, with Sribhumi at 1,423 and Hailakandi at 641.

This indicates that while Cachar has the highest number of students across all three divisions in the Barak Valley, its low pass percentage is influenced by a significantly larger number of failures. Sribhumi, on the other hand, has managed a more balanced outcome with a better conversion rate of appearing candidates into successful ones. Hailakandi remains in between, with moderate numbers across divisions but without matching the efficiency seen in the top-performing districts.

The improvement in Sribhumi’s results is particularly noteworthy when compared to last year. In 2025, the district had recorded a pass percentage of 47.96 per cent, with only 8,160 students passing out of 17,013 candidates. This year’s significant rise indicates a strong recovery.

However, the same trend was not observed in the other Barak Valley districts. Cachar, which had recorded 51.58 per cent last year, has dropped further to become the lowest-performing district in the state. Hailakandi also saw a decline from its previous 58.38 per cent, though it still remains in the middle within the valley, while Sribhumi and Cachar have swapped places.

Sribhumi has shown significant improvement and crossed the state average, while both Cachar and Hailakandi have failed to improve, with Cachar slipping to the bottom of the state rankings. The contrasting performances underline a widening gap within the Barak Valley in the latest HSLC results.

One thing remains constant: Barak Valley continues to feature at the bottom. The district name may have changed, but the region remains the same. The fact that only Sribhumi improved while Cachar and Hailakandi slipped further adds to the concern. The question now is whether Barak Valley can recover in the coming year.