Saturday, March 29, 2025
New Delhi: March 15, 2026 In light of the ongoing fierce war situation in Western Asia (Middle East), the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has taken a significant decision to cancel the Class 12 board examinations there. The conflict between the USA, Israel, and Iran, which began on February 28, 2026, has made the situation in the Gulf countries extremely tense, making it impossible for the board to conduct the examinations.
The countries where the board has cancelled the exams include Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). CBSE was continuously receiving feedback regarding the gravity of the situation from schools and education officials in these countries.
Due to the war conditions, these exams—originally scheduled for March 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9—had already been postponed five times. However, given the likelihood of the situation worsening due to continuous missile and drone attacks in the region, the board decided to cancel them entirely, prioritizing student safety above all else.
Approximately 10 million Indians reside in the Middle East. Following Iranian attacks and the targeting of US military bases, several countries have begun the process of evacuating their citizens. India has also taken steps to safely evacuate its citizens stranded in Iran and Dubai. In such an unstable environment, it had become impossible for students to reach examination centers and appear for their tests.
