The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued notice to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on a petition filed by Class XII regular students from Gulf countries challenging the special assessment scheme for academic session 2025–26 following cancellation of Board examinations in the Gulf region due to the US-Iran war.The petitioners – 30 students from the Gulf region/West Asian countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman—have sought an opportunity for class XII students in the Gulf region/West Asian countries to appear in compartment examinations after this year’s board examinations were disrupted by the US-Iran war.They have challenged the CBSE’s assessment scheme, contending that the methodology adopted resulted in significantly lower marks than they would have ordinarily secured in the final Board examinations.Issuing notice to the CBSE, a Bench of Justice KV Viswanathan and Justice Alok Aradhe directed a copy of the petition to be served on Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and posted it for hearing on July 14.The Bench was informed that while CBSE has notified compartment examinations commencing July 28, no schedule has been announced for students from Gulf region and West Asian countries.The dispute emanated from cancellation of the 2025–26 CBSE Board examinations in several subjects in West Asian countries due to the US-Iran war. To evaluate students who could not take the examinations, the CBSE on March 27, 2026 prescribed a special assessment scheme under which marks for cancelled papers were calculated on the basis of school-level assessments, including quarterly examinations, half-yearly examinations and pre-board examinations.The petitioners contended that the special assessment scheme adversely affected students’ higher education prospects, particularly those seeking admission under the Direct Admission of Students Abroad (DASA) and Children of Indian Workers in Gulf Countries (CIWG) schemes, which prescribe a minimum aggregate of 75% marks for eligibility.Several students who cleared the JEE Main examination were ineligible for admission solely because of the marks awarded under the special assessment scheme, they said, adding many of them have either been declared failed or placed in the compartment category despite having consistently performed well academically, the contended.