NEW DELHI: The Centre on Friday told the Supreme Court that it was considering framing a policy to provide relief to private students from West Asia whose Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) board examination results have not been declared due to ongoing conflict in the region.
A partial working day (earlier called as Vacation bench) of the apex court, headed by Justice Augustine George Masih and also comprising Justice Vijay Bisnoi was apprised by the Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta, senior law officer appearing for the Centre, that the Union government is considering to come out with a decision or some policy shortly in the important matter involving career of many students.
"This is a wider issue, the union government is considering laying down some policy for similarly situated students," the law officer told the top court.
The Centre's submissions came as the SC was hearing a plea filed by one, Pransu Jigarkumar Patel, challenging the CBSE's failure to declare his result despite an assessment scheme having been framed for students affected by the cancellation of examinations in several Gulf countries.
Mehta, further submitted that the present matter may be kept to be heard later on June 22, considering that it raises some wider questions which the government is currently looking into it.
Hearing these contentions of Mehta, the bench allowed his prayer and adjourned the matter for further hearing to June 22.
Patel had moved the top court challenging the CBSE's failure to declare his result despite an assessment scheme having been framed for students affected by the cancellation of examinations in several Gulf countries.
In the last date of hearing on June 8, the top court -- while agreeing to hear the case -- earlier issued notices to the CBSE and its regional officer on Patel's plea and asked them to file the detailed reply. “This is about the career of a child, he will miss all his admissions. Whatever it is, burn the midnight oil,” the bench had earlier said orally, asking the counsel for CBSE to take instructions on the issue.
Patel, in his plea, highlighted that he is a bona fide student who appeared as a Private Candidate in the CBSE Class XII Improvement Examination, 2026 from Al Jubail, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in the subjects of Physics, Chemistry, English, Mathematics and Computer Science. During the examination period, due to extraordinary war related tensions and security concerns prevailing in the Gulf Region, CBSE cancelled examinations of several subjects, including Mathematics, English and Computer Science.
He further stated that recognizing the hardship faced by students in West Asian countries, CBSE issued an Assessment Scheme on March 27 providing for declaration of results based on Quarterly, Half-Yearly and Pre-Board Examination performance and also contemplated conduct of Special Examinations wherever necessary.
Despite the said scheme, the result of the petitioner (Patel) was not declared when CBSE announced the Class XII results on May 13 and his status was shown as RL (Result Later).
The petitioner, Patel, repeatedly approached the Respondents, Union of India and other authorities, through representations on May 17, 21 and 30 requesting declaration of his result either by applying the Assessment Scheme or by permitting him to appear in a Specialrl requesting declaration of his result either by applying the Assessment Scheme or by permitting him to appear in a Special Examination. However, no response has been received and the result continues to remain withheld.
"The non-declaration of the Petitioner's result has seriously prejudiced his academic career. He (Patel) has already applied for admission to Dhirubhai Ambani University and has paid the requisite registration fee. The University required the Petitioner to update his result status by June 01. Due to the failure of the Respondents to declare the result, the Petitioner has been deprived of the opportunity to complete the admission process and is also unable to apply to other institutions," Patel said.
The petitoner further argued that the action of the respondents is arbitrary, unreasonable, discriminatory and violative of Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution of India.