THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK
New Delhi, June 8: The Supreme Court has issued notice to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on a petition filed by a Class XII student from Saudi Arabia seeking a declaration of his improvement examination result after several exams in Gulf countries were cancelled due to security concerns.
A vacation bench comprising Justice Manmohan and Justice Vijay Bishnoi directed the CBSE to respond by Friday and posted the matter for further hearing.
‘This Is About the Career of a Child’
During the hearing, CBSE’s counsel informed the court that while assessment under the special scheme was to be carried out through schools, the petitioner had appeared as a private candidate, making assessment records unavailable.
Justice Manmohan suggested that the student’s past academic records could be considered and asked the CBSE to obtain instructions in the matter.
When CBSE sought more time, citing workload, Justice Manmohan remarked:
“This is about the career of a child; he will miss all his admissions. Whatever it is, burn the midnight oil.”
Student Challenges Non-Declaration of Result
The petition was filed by Pransu Jigarkumar Patel, who appeared as a private candidate in the CBSE Class XII Improvement Examination from Al Jubail, Saudi Arabia.
Patel had registered for improvement in Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, English and Computer Science after taking the Class XII examination in 2025.
Due to regional security concerns and military tensions, CBSE cancelled several examinations in Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Patel was able to appear only in Physics and Chemistry, while examinations in Mathematics, English and Computer Science were cancelled.
When CBSE declared Class XII results on May 13, 2026, Patel’s result was not announced and his status was marked as “R.L. (Result Later)”.
Assessment Scheme at Centre of Dispute
Following the cancellations, CBSE issued an assessment scheme on March 27, 2026, for students in affected West Asian countries.
Under the scheme, students whose examinations could not be conducted were to be assessed based on school records, including quarterly, half-yearly and pre-board examinations, with the best score being considered.
The petition argues that Patel’s school records are available with the International Indian School, Al Jubail, and should be used for assessment under the scheme.
However, the petitioner claims CBSE has not clarified whether private candidates appearing in improvement examinations are covered by the special assessment policy.
Impact on Higher Education Plans
According to the petition, the delay in declaring the result has affected Patel’s higher education prospects.
He had applied for admission to the B.Tech (Computer Science and AI) programme at Dhirubhai Ambani University and was required to submit his Class XII result status by June 1. The absence of a declared result has reportedly prevented him from completing admission formalities and applying to other institutions.
Allegation of Discrimination
The petition contends that CBSE’s failure to declare the result despite the assessment scheme is arbitrary and discriminatory, violating Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution.
It argues that Patel is similarly placed to other students affected by the cancellation of examinations in West Asian countries and cannot be denied the benefit of the scheme.
The petitioner has sought directions to the CBSE to declare his result using his school assessment records or, alternatively, conduct special examinations in the pending subjects.