SC seeks response from Centre, CBSE on Gulf Board assessment scheme

The Supreme Court has sought responses from the Centre and CBSE on a plea challenging the evaluation formula adopted after Class XII Board examinations were cancelled in Gulf countries

The Supreme Court on Wednesday sought responses from the Centre and the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on a petition filed by 30 Class XII students from CBSE-affiliated schools in Gulf countries questioning the evaluation formula adopted after Board examinations were cancelled in the region during the 2025-26 academic session.

 

A Bench of Justice KV Viswanathan and Justice Alok Aradhe issued notice on the plea and directed that a copy of the petition be served on the Solicitor General to assist the court.

 

The students, enrolled in schools across Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain, have challenged the assessment framework introduced after the CBSE cancelled several Board examination papers in the Gulf region because of security concerns arising from geopolitical tensions.

 

 

Under a notification issued on March 27, 2026, the CBSE assessed students in the cancelled subjects using their performance in internal school examinations, including quarterly, half-yearly and pre-board tests, instead of the final Board examinations.

 

The petition contends that the formula has unfairly reduced students' scores, affecting their chances of securing admission to higher educational institutions. It argues that many candidates have fallen short of the 75 per cent aggregate required under the Direct Admission of Students Abroad (DASA) and Children of Indian Workers in Gulf Countries (CIWG) admission schemes despite otherwise being academically strong.

 

The students have further submitted that some candidates who cleared the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main are now ineligible for admission because of the marks awarded under the special assessment policy.

 

They also claim that several students have either been declared failed or placed in the compartment category despite maintaining consistently good academic records.