Supreme Court seeks government response on plea by Gulf students that ‘assessment scheme’ hurts prospects

Summary

Subscribed with another email? Logout and Login with that one. Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription Published - July 08, 2026 10:45 pm IST - NEW DELHI: Image used for representational purposes only. | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto The Supreme Court on Wednesday (July 8, 2026) sought responses from the Union Government and the CBSE on a petition challenging the Board’s March 27 assessment scheme for Class XII students in Gulf countries. Board examinations there were cancelled owing to the conflict in West Asia earlier this year. Issuing notice on the petition, the Bench directed that a copy be served on the office of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and posted the matter for further hearing on July 14. As a result, some have been placed in the compartment category, while others, despite a consistent academic record, have lost eligibility for admission to premier institutions. “Historically, students demonstrate significant improvement between pre-board assessments and the actual board examinations after focused preparation during the final months of Class XII,” the petition stated. The petition, filed through advocate Vineet Jindal, assails the assessment scheme as “arbitrary, unreasonable and violative of Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution”. It pointed out that Class XII marks constitute a crucial eligibility criterion under schemes such as the Direct Admission of Students Abroad (DASA) and the Children of Indian Workers in Gulf Countries (CIWG), both of which require a minimum aggregate of 75%. “Many such students are unable to satisfy the prescribed eligibility criteria or secure admission opportunities commensurate with their merit and JEE performance. Consequently, students who have otherwise demonstrated academic competence and successfully cleared a highly competitive national examination are being denied access to higher education solely due to circumstances beyond their control,” the petition stated.