The Central Government has informed the Supreme Court that a separate assessment policy has been implemented for CBSE Class 12 private students in West Asian countries affected by the cancellation of board examinations. The move comes after a private candidate from Al Jubail, Saudi Arabia, approached the Supreme Court challenging CBSE’s failure to declare his improvement examination result. The newly introduced policy is aimed at resolving the issue faced by private candidates whose results could not be prepared under the assessment framework announced earlier for regular students.
Key Highlights
- CBSE has introduced a separate assessment policy for Class 12 private candidates in West Asia.
- The policy was presented before the Supreme Court by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta.
- Board examinations in several West Asian countries were cancelled due to the Iran-US conflict.
- Private students could not be assessed through internal school records like regular students.
- Marks for cancelled subjects will be calculated using Class 10 and previous Class 12 board performance.
- Students dissatisfied with assessed marks can appear in the next regular CBSE examination.
- The Supreme Court noted that the petitioner’s result has already been declared.
More Info
The issue reached the Supreme Court after private candidate Pransu Jigarkumar Patel filed a writ petition challenging CBSE’s decision not to declare his Class 12 improvement examination result.
According to the petition, CBSE had introduced a special assessment policy for regular students in Gulf countries affected by examination cancellations. However, private candidates were left without a similar mechanism, causing their results to remain unavailable on the portal with the status marked as “Result Later” (R.L.).
The cancellation of examinations in several West Asian countries was attributed to disruptions caused by the Iran-US conflict. As a result, CBSE had to formulate alternative methods of assessment.
For regular students, the board relied on internal assessment records such as quarterly examinations, half-yearly examinations, and pre-board performance. However, private candidates did not have affiliated schools capable of providing such academic records.
This gap led to concerns about fairness and equal treatment, eventually prompting legal intervention.
How Marks Will Be Assessed Under the New Policy
- Identify the subjects for which examinations were cancelled.
- Obtain the candidate’s Class 10 board examination theory marks.
- Obtain theory marks from the candidate’s last-attempted Class 12 board examination.
- Apply the prescribed assessment formula.
- Calculate final marks for cancelled subjects.
- Prepare and publish the revised result.
- Upload the result to DigiLocker and other official platforms.
- Allow candidates to appear in future examinations if they are dissatisfied with the assessed marks.
Who Is Covered?
The policy applies to:
- CBSE Class 12 private candidates.
- Students appearing for improvement examinations.
- Candidates affected by examination cancellations in West Asian countries.
- Students whose results could not be prepared under the regular assessment framework.
New Marks Calculation Formula
For subjects where examinations could not be conducted, CBSE will calculate marks using the following formula:
- 40% weightage from Class 10 board theory marks.
- 60% weightage from theory marks obtained in the candidate’s last-attempted Class 12 board examination.
This formula has been specifically designed to address the absence of school-based internal assessment records for private candidates.
Petitioner’s Case
The petitioner informed the court that he appeared for the Physics and Chemistry examinations, which were successfully conducted and evaluated based on actual performance.
However, examinations for:
- Mathematics
- English
- Computer Science
were cancelled. These subjects were subsequently assessed under the newly announced formula.
The petitioner argued that excluding private candidates from the original assessment policy was arbitrary and discriminatory and adversely affected higher education opportunities.
Government’s Stand
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the Supreme Court that both regular and private students faced challenges due to examination disruptions.
He stated that the omission of private candidates from the earlier policy was not intentional but arose because private students lacked internal school assessment records.
The Centre subsequently developed a fresh assessment mechanism tailored specifically for private candidates.
According to the government, the newly calculated marks for the petitioner were higher than his earlier performance, and the result was communicated through email. The updated result will also be reflected in DigiLocker.
What’s Next?
Students who are not satisfied with the marks awarded under the alternative assessment policy will have the opportunity to appear in the next regular CBSE board examination.
This provision ensures that candidates retain the option to improve their scores through a conventional examination process.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court observed that the petitioner’s primary grievance regarding the declaration of results had already been addressed following the implementation of the new policy.
The petitioner’s counsel also requested protection of the student’s right to seek answer-script copies and re-evaluation. However, the court noted that such relief was not specifically sought in the original writ petition.
Quick Reference Summary
- Board: CBSE
- Class: Class 12
- Category: Assessment Policy
- Affected Region: West Asian Countries
- Beneficiaries: Private Candidates and Improvement Exam Students
- Reason for Policy: Cancellation of examinations due to regional conflict
- Assessment Formula: 40% Class 10 Theory + 60% Previous Class 12 Theory
- Alternative Option: Appear in next regular examination
- Result Availability: DigiLocker and CBSE platforms
- Court Involvement: Supreme Court of India
Frequently Asked Questions
| What is the new CBSE policy for Class 12 private students in West Asia? |
| CBSE has introduced a separate assessment mechanism for private candidates affected by examination cancellations. The policy uses past academic performance to calculate marks for cancelled subjects. |
| Why was a separate policy required for private candidates? |
| Private candidates do not have school-based internal assessment records. Therefore, the assessment model used for regular students could not be applied to them. |
| What formula will CBSE use to calculate marks? |
| Marks will be calculated using 40% of Class 10 theory marks and 60% of theory marks obtained in the last-attempted Class 12 board examination. |
| Who filed the petition before the Supreme Court? |
| Private candidate Pransu Jigarkumar Patel from Al Jubail, Saudi Arabia, approached the court after his result was not declared under the earlier policy framework. |
| Which subjects were cancelled in the petitioner’s case? |
| Mathematics, English, and Computer Science examinations were cancelled, while Physics and Chemistry were conducted and evaluated normally. |
| Will students get a chance to improve their marks? |
| Yes. Students who are not satisfied with the assessed marks can appear in the next regular CBSE board examination. |
| Has the petitioner’s result been declared? |
| Yes. The government informed the Supreme Court that the result has been communicated and will also be updated through DigiLocker. |
| Can students seek re-evaluation of assessed marks? |
| The issue was raised before the court, but the bench noted that such relief was not specifically requested in the original petition. Students should follow CBSE rules and future notifications. |
The newly announced CBSE Class 12 assessment policy for private candidates in West Asia provides a much-needed solution for students affected by examination cancellations. By introducing a dedicated formula based on previous academic performance, CBSE has ensured that private candidates are not left without results while maintaining a fair evaluation process. The Supreme Court proceedings also helped accelerate clarity on the issue, offering relief to many affected students. Candidates should carefully review their results and stay updated with future CBSE notifications regarding re-examination opportunities and other result-related services, for more details CLICK HERE
