Bijapur, the Chhattisgarh district that was the worst-affected by Maoism, has jumped to first place among the state’s 33 districts for pass percentage in class 10 board exams and second place in class 12 exams. Last year, the district stood ninth in class 10 pass percentage and 23rd in class 12 pass percentage. The pass percentage for class 10 boards has increased from 85.40% last year to 96.06% this year, and for class 12 boards, it increased from 80.35% to 95.63%. The district was once infamous for school students dropping out and allegedly joining Maoist ranks, officials said. In the last two years, security forces stepped up operations against Maoists in the Bastar region, which includes Bijapur. Since 2024, as many as 234 Maoists have been killed in encounters, while 1,191 have been arrested and another 1,003 have surrendered, severely weakening the rebel movement.…