More than 1.11 lakh students have registered in the regular category for this year’s Class 12 Science board examinations beginning February 26, marking an increase of nearly 11,000 candidates compared to last year, officials said.
The most significant growth has been seen in Group A (Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics), typically chosen by students aiming for engineering careers. A total of 45,405 students have enrolled in Group A this year, up from 36,455 last year — an increase of about 9,000 candidates.
Group B (Physics, Chemistry and Biology), preferred by students targeting medical and paramedical fields, recorded a modest rise of 1,515 candidates, with enrolment reaching 65,853 this year compared to 64,338 last year.
Only 36 students have registered in Group AB (all four subjects), the highest number in the past three years.
Last year, the total number of regular candidates stood at 1,00,813. Officials noted that enrolment had dropped sharply in 2022 to 95,715 after mass promotion was granted in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Education experts attribute the growing shift towards Group A to the rising cost of medical education. Fees for an MBBS degree under the management quota at private colleges are estimated to range between ₹70 lakh and ₹80 lakh over five years, while even general quota fees are reported to be between ₹40 lakh and ₹50 lakh.
Subject-wise data show that 46,793 students have registered for Mathematics and 68,067 for Biology this year, while 279 candidates have enrolled in the isolated category. The examinations will begin on February 26.