CM praises successful students as girls dominate High Madrasah merit list
The Statesman | 4 May 2025
Giving its tell-tale signs of shifting educational dynamics in India’s hinterland, West Bengal’s High Madrasah examination results, published on Saturday, revealed a stunning dominance by female students, both in numbers and performance.
The exams are conducted by the West Bengal Board of Madrasah Education.
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Notably, girls claimed all the top five positions on the state’s merit list, while only three boys managed to find a place among the top fifteen. This year, the top 10 ranks feature 15 students due to score ties, but what has truly drawn attention is the emphatic sweep by Malda district. From first to eighth position, Malda students have locked out contenders from every other region of the state. Sharing the top spot with an impressive score of 780 out of 800 are Fahmida Yasmin of Bhagabanpur High Madrasah and Sahida Parvin of Bottala Adarsha High Madrasah. The second position was clinched by Shamsun Nehar of Islam Sagar High Madrasah with 776 marks, followed closely by Alifnur Khatun from Mohammadiya High Madrasah, who secured 772 marks to rank third.
In a state, where educational inequities and rural gender gaps often make headlines for the wrong reasons, this year’s results offer a powerful counter-narrative. “It’s not just academic excellence, it’s a statement,” said a senior education department official. “These girls are redefining the aspirations of their communities.” chief minister Mamata Banerjee extended her congratulations on X (formerly Twitter), writing, “Heartiest congratulations to all students who passed the High Madrasah, Alim, and Fazil examinations. I wish you all great success in your future endeavours.”
She also acknowledged the contributions of parents and teachers, calling them “the key to this success.” The High Madrasah system, which functions parallel to the mainstream education board in West Bengal, has often been a crucible for first-generation learners from marginalised communities. This year’s outcome not only underlines the growing academic rigor within the system but also hints at a quiet transformation underway in regions like Malda, where tradition and ambition are learning to co-exist.