Explanation:
Step 1: Calculate the total number of students who passed the exam:
Manisha is 16th from the top, so there are 15 students above her.
She is also 29th from the bottom, so there are 28 students below her.
Therefore, there are a total of 15 + 28 + 1 (Manisha) = 44 students who passed the exam.
Step 2: Calculate the total number of students in the class:
Six students did not participate.
Five students failed the exam.
Therefore, the total number of students in the class is 44 (students who passed) + 6 (did not participate) + 5 (failed) = 55 students.
Solution:
(D) is the correct answer: There were 55 students in the class