Higher cut-off percentages for Bangalore girls

Gender discrimination in cut-off percentages has been a practice in some reputed Bangalore pre-university (PU) colleges, which keep the cutoff for girls higher than that for boys. Girls have consistently beaten boys to the top ranks in Class X board exams, but their diligence is proving to be a curse. In some Bangalore pre-university colleges, Std XI cut-off percentages for girls is higher than boys.

MES Pre-University College Senior assistant, Purushotham , said that the physics, chemistry, maths and biology (PCMB) cut-off for boys is 594, while it is 599 for girls. The commerce cut-off is 553 for boys and 580 for girls. Colleges claim boys find it difficult to get admission to such courses. “We’d like to have an equal number of boys and girls in a class. As girls score higher, we have to bring down the cut-off percentage for boys.’’ said Purushotham.

At National PU College, officials have been segregating cut-offs based on gender for four years. The RBANMS degree college, however, gives priority to girls who stay within a 5-km radius. There is no separate cut-off for boys and girls for SSLC board students.