The matter came up before a bench comprising Justices K.V. Viswanathan and Alok Aradhe, which sought responses from CBSE and other concerned authorities after hearing submissions related to the academic session 2025-26.

The petition has been filed on behalf of 30 students enrolled in CBSE-affiliated schools across Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain. According to the plea, several Class 12 board examinations in the Gulf region were cancelled due to geopolitical tensions and security concerns.

Following the cancellation, CBSE announced a Special Evaluation Scheme on March 27, 2026. Under this arrangement, marks for the cancelled papers were calculated using students’ performance in quarterly examinations, half-yearly assessments and pre-board tests conducted by their respective schools.

The students have argued that the evaluation method resulted in significantly lower scores than expected, affecting their chances of securing admission to higher education institutions.

According to the petition, the issue has become particularly serious for candidates seeking admission through schemes such as Direct Admission of Students Abroad (DASA) and Children of Indian Workers in Gulf Countries (CIWG). These admission routes require candidates to secure at least 75 percent marks in qualifying examinations.

The petitioners contend that several students who successfully cleared the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main have become ineligible for admission solely because of their reduced board examination scores under the special assessment formula.

Students have also claimed that some high-performing candidates were either declared failed or placed in the compartment category despite maintaining strong academic records throughout their school years. The plea argues that the extraordinary circumstances surrounding the cancellation of examinations should have been taken into account while framing the assessment process.

During the hearing, the Supreme Court directed that copies of the petition be provided to the Solicitor General as well, indicating that the matter involves broader policy considerations affecting overseas Indian students.

The petition seeks multiple forms of relief. Among the key demands is the grant of one-time grace marks to compensate students for the academic disadvantage caused by circumstances beyond their control. The students have also requested that CBSE conduct a fresh special improvement examination for affected candidates.

Another major demand is the application of a “better of two” policy, allowing students to retain whichever score is higher between their existing marks and the marks obtained in any future improvement examination.

The plea further requests a one-time relaxation in eligibility criteria under DASA and CIWG admission schemes. Petitioners argue that such a measure would prevent deserving students from losing an academic year because of an assessment mechanism introduced after examination cancellations.

The case has drawn attention from students, parents and educational institutions across the Gulf region, where a large number of Indian expatriate families rely on CBSE schools for secondary education.

With notices now issued, the matter is expected to return before the Supreme Court after responses are filed by the Centre, CBSE and other stakeholders. The outcome could have significant implications for affected students seeking admission to engineering, professional and higher education programmes in India during the current academic cycle.