The Supreme Court has sought responses from the Union government and CBSE on a plea by Class XII students from GCC and West Asian countries seeking compartment examinations, after the board notified such exams for India from July 28 without announcing a corresponding schedule for students in the region.
Bench Issues Notice, Lists Matter For July 14
A Bench of Justices KV Viswanathan and Alok Aradhe issued notice on the petition after being informed that while CBSE had notified compartment examinations commencing July 28, no corresponding schedule had been announced for students from GCC and West Asian countries. The Court directed that a copy of the petition be served on Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and posted the matter for hearing on July 14.
Petition Filed By Students From UAE, Saudi Arabia And Other Gulf Nations
The petition has been filed by Class XII students from GCC and West Asian countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman. The students have challenged the impact of the special assessment scheme adopted by CBSE after board examinations in the region were disrupted by the geopolitical conflict arising from the US-Iran war earlier this year.
Special Assessment Scheme And Its Fallout
Under the scheme notified on March 27, CBSE assessed students in several subjects using their quarterly examinations, half-yearly examinations and pre-board examinations, after certain board examinations could not be conducted. According to the petition, students were never informed that these internal assessments would determine their final board results, and many were consequently declared failed or placed in the compartment category, affecting their eligibility for university admissions in India and abroad.
Among other reliefs, the petition has sought directions to conduct special fresh and improvement examinations for affected students, grant compensatory moderation or grace marks, and provide relaxations in admission criteria under the Direct Admission of Students Abroad (DASA) and Children of Indian Workers in Gulf Countries (CIWG) schemes.
Petitions Tagged With Similar Saudi Arabia Matter
The petition also referred to an earlier matter in which the Supreme Court had issued notice on a plea by a Class XII private candidate from Saudi Arabia, whose results were not declared after three of his improvement examinations were cancelled due to the disruption in West Asia. The present petition submitted that the issues in both cases are substantially similar, since they concern the educational rights and admission prospects of CBSE students in GCC and West Asian countries affected by the extraordinary circumstances of the 2026 examination cycle. The Court tagged both petitions and listed them for further hearing on July 14.
Case: Plea by Class XII students from GCC and West Asian countries seeking compartment examinations, tagged with the earlier Saudi Arabia private candidate matter
Bench: Justices KV Viswanathan and Alok Aradhe
Next Date of Hearing: July 14, 2026
Counsel for Petitioners: Advocates Raj Kishore Choudhary and Vineet Jindal
Representing Union Government: Solicitor General Tushar Mehta
