The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has introduced a new evaluation policy for private Class 12 students in seven Gulf countries whose board examinations were cancelled due to tensions in West Asia.
The policy, notified on June 21, applies to private candidates in Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It seeks to address a unique challenge faced by students who were unable to complete their examinations after the cancellation of papers in the region due to the ongoing conflict in West Asia.
How will marks be calculated?
CBSE has adopted a 40:60 formula for subjects whose examinations could not be conducted.
Under the scheme:
40% of the marks will be derived from theory scores obtained in the Class 10 board examinations.
60% of the marks will be based on the student's last attempted Class 12 board examination.
According to the board, this formula became necessary because private candidates do not have school-based records such as quarterly examinations, half-yearly examinations, pre-board scores, practical assessments, or internal assessment marks that could otherwise be used for evaluation.
How did the issue arise?
CBSE had earlier postponed examinations scheduled between March 9 and March 11 in the affected Gulf countries and subsequently cancelled remaining Class 12 examinations due to the deteriorating security situation in the region. The cancellations affected students studying in CBSE-affiliated schools across Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.
The uncertainty left thousands of students and parents concerned about how final results would be prepared, particularly because board examination scores play a crucial role in university admissions and future academic plans.
Matter reaches Supreme Court
The issue eventually reached the Supreme Court after Pransu Jigarkumar Patel, a private candidate from Al Jubail in Saudi Arabia, challenged CBSE's failure to declare his Class 12 improvement examination result.
The petitioner argued that while CBSE's earlier assessment scheme covered regular students, no similar mechanism existed for private candidates appearing for improvement examinations, leaving their results withheld as "Result Later" (R.L.). He contended that the omission was arbitrary and adversely affected his higher education prospects.
According to court submissions, Patel had appeared for Physics and Chemistry examinations, while papers in Mathematics, English, and Computer Science had been cancelled. Marks for the papers that were held were awarded based on actual performance, while the cancelled subjects were assessed under the newly introduced formula.
Appearing before a bench of Justices S V N Bhatti and Vipul M Pancholi, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the court that the new all-India policy had been specifically framed to address the concerns of similarly situated private candidates affected by the cancellations.
The Centre also informed the court that Patel's result had already been calculated under the new policy, communicated to him via email, and would be updated on DigiLocker. According to the government, the marks awarded under the formula were higher than his previous performance.
Option to reappear
CBSE has also provided an option for students dissatisfied with their assessed marks. Such candidates may appear in the next regular board examination and attempt to improve their scores.
Taking note of the submissions, the Supreme Court disposed of the petition. However, it granted liberty to the petitioner to pursue remedies available under the law if he still had grievances regarding his result or evaluation.