Indian students in Gulf seek relief over engineering admissions uncertainty
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Hundreds of Indian students in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries are facing uncertainty over engineering admissions in India despite securing strong scores in the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main.
More than 300 parents have appealed to Indian authorities for support, raising concerns over eligibility under the Direct Admission of Students Abroad (DASA) and Children of Indian Workers in Gulf Countries (CIWG) categories.
The issue follows the Central Board of Secondary Education’s adoption of an alternative assessment system after some board examinations in Saudi Arabia could not be conducted because of the regional security situation.
Parents said the revised assessment method did not accurately reflect students’ academic performance.
Several students who achieved high JEE Main percentiles are now facing admission difficulties because of lower Class XII aggregate marks or subject-related result issues tied to the 75 per cent eligibility requirement under DASA and CIWG admissions.
The Indian Overseas Forum, led by president Anil Malpani, has submitted a representation to Indian Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan requesting special consideration for affected students.
The group has asked authorities to consider one-time relief measures including relaxation of the 75 per cent Class XII eligibility rule, special passing consideration where required, permission for fresh or improvement examinations, acceptance of higher scores from future exams and early clarification before counselling begins.
Concerns have also been raised over a sharp drop in Class XII pass percentages in some Gulf-based Indian schools.
According to the representation, the International Indian School Dammam recorded a pass percentage of 72.80 per cent in 2026, compared with previous years when results were mostly between 98 and 100 per cent.
Parents are also seeking greater transparency regarding the assessment process.