The Central government has informed the Supreme Court that it is working on a policy framework for private candidates of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) in West Asia whose Class 12 results could not be declared due to examination disruptions caused by the regional conflict. The development comes in response to concerns raised by students whose board examinations were cancelled amid the deteriorating security situation in several Gulf countries.
Appearing before the apex court, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta requested that the matter be taken up after June 22, stating that the government is currently examining several issues highlighted in petitions filed by affected students residing in Gulf nations. He informed the court that discussions are underway regarding a policy that would address the concerns of private candidates whose results remain pending because of the extraordinary circumstances created by the conflict in West Asia.
According to the government, the proposed framework is expected to provide a solution not only for the present batch of affected students but could also serve as a model for handling similar situations in the future when examinations are disrupted by geopolitical crises or other emergencies.
The issue stems from the decision taken by the CBSE earlier this year to cancel Class 12 board examinations in several West Asian countries due to escalating tensions in the region. Through a series of notifications issued since March, the board eventually cancelled all examinations scheduled between March 16 and April 10, 2026, for students studying in CBSE-affiliated schools located in Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. The board also clarified that examinations which had initially been postponed would stand cancelled.
The cancellation affected a section of students appearing for the Class 12 board examinations outside India. Overall, more than 4.37 million students registered for the CBSE board examinations in 2026, including approximately 2.51 million Class 10 candidates and nearly 1.86 million Class 12 students.
The matter reached the Supreme Court after several students residing in Gulf countries approached the court, alleging that their Class 12 results had not been declared despite the introduction of a special assessment mechanism for candidates affected by the cancellation of examinations in West Asia. They argued that the delay in result declaration was creating uncertainty regarding admissions to higher education institutions.
Earlier this month, the Supreme Court issued notices to CBSE and its Regional Office in Dubai in response to a petition filed by a Class 12 student from Saudi Arabia. The case was heard by a bench comprising Justices Manmohan and Vijay Bishnoi, who sought responses from the board regarding the student's pending result.
During the previous hearing, counsel representing CBSE informed the court that the assessment process designed for affected students relied on records maintained by schools. However, in the case of the petitioner, Pransu Jigarkumar Patel, such records were unavailable because he had appeared as a private candidate rather than as a regular school student. As a result, the board faced difficulties in applying the existing assessment formula to determine his final result.
The petition, filed under Article 32 of the Constitution, argued that the continued withholding of the student's result had adversely affected his academic future and restricted his opportunities for admission to higher education programmes. The petitioner contended that the absence of a clear mechanism for evaluating private candidates had placed him at a disadvantage compared to regular students whose results had already been processed.
With the government now indicating that a dedicated policy is under consideration, affected students and their families are awaiting further clarity on how their results will be assessed and declared. The Supreme Court is expected to take up the matter again after the Centre finalises its response and outlines the proposed framework for students impacted by the cancellation of examinations in West Asia.