NEW DELHI: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Tuesday issued a strict directive to its affiliated schools regarding the submission of the List of Candidates (LOC) for the Class 10 second board examination, clearly stating that only the prescribed examination fee can be collected during the process.

In its circular, the board expressed concern over complaints that some schools are demanding additional payments, including advance tuition fees for up to three months, at the time of LOC submission. The CBSE has categorically termed this practice a violation of its rules and directed schools to discontinue it immediately.

The board emphasised that the LOC process is strictly meant for registering candidates for the examination and must not be used to collect any other charges. “Only the examination fee is permissible,” the notice stated, warning that any unauthorised fee collection will be taken seriously and may invite action against the institutions concerned.

The circular, signed by Controller of Examinations Sanyam Bhardwaj, also reiterated the structured process for LOC submissions, which is divided into three distinct phases. During the first phase, schools are required to fill in candidate details without collecting any fee.

This stage is primarily intended to estimate the number of students likely to appear for the examination. In the subsequent second and third phases, schools will be allowed to make necessary corrections, additions, or withdrawals in the student details or subject choices. It is only during these stages that the prescribed examination fee will be collected from students. Through this directive, CBSE reinforced its earlier guidelines.