SC issues notice to CBSE over Saudi-based student's withheld Class 12 improvement result
text_fields
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and its Dubai regional officer after a Class 12 student based in Saudi Arabia sought declaration of his withheld improvement exam result.
A bench of Justices Manmohan and Vijay Bishnoi listed the matter for further hearing on June 12. The petitioner, Pransu Jigarkumar Patel, has challenged the board’s decision to mark his status as “R.L. (Result Later)” despite a special assessment scheme CBSE framed for students in West Asian countries affected by exam cancellations.
CBSE counsel told the court that assessment for the student was to be carried out by his school, but Patel had appeared as a private candidate and no school assessment record existed. The bench suggested the petitioner’s past academic records could be considered and asked the CBSE to obtain instructions by Friday.
Patel’s writ petition under Article 32 contends that the withheld result has jeopardised his higher education plans and deprived him of admissions. He appeared as a private candidate in the CBSE Class 12 Improvement Examination, 2026, from Al Jubail (Saudi Arabia) in physics, chemistry, mathematics, English and computer science.
The plea noted that CBSE cancelled several papers during the exam period because of war related tensions and security concerns in the Gulf and on March 27 issued an assessment scheme for affected West Asian students, allowing evaluation based on Quarterly, Half Yearly and Pre Board performance and providing for special exams where needed. When results were declared on May 13, Patel’s status remained “R.L.” and his requests for declaration under the scheme or permission to sit a special exam went unanswered, the petition says.
The petition alleges the board’s action was arbitrary, discriminatory and violated Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution. It seeks directions to the CBSE to declare Patel’s result using the assessment scheme or, alternatively, to permit a special examination for the cancelled subjects.
(Inputs from IANS)