CBSE Board Exam 2026: Kerala HC Grants Relief for 38 Class 10 Students Affected by Clerical Error

In a new order, the Kerala High Court has provided relief to 38 CBSE Class 10 students with regard to their upcoming exam. According to reports, the students were facing the risk of being forced to take the incorrect Sanskrit paper due to a clerical error made by their school.

Hearing a petition filed by Chinmaya Vidyalaya in Kasaragod, Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas directed the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to immediately rectify the subject code in its official records, allowing the affected students to take the intended "Communicative Sanskrit" examination for the 2025–26 Secondary School Examination.

According to reportsm the court observed that 38 students were preparing for the Communicative Sanskrit examination, and forcing them to appear for the Standard Sanskrit paper due to a mistake committed by the school would cause serious disadvantage to the students. 

The court objected to forcing students to appear for an exam against their will and choice will not be considered legitimate. The court further observed that since students had already studied for the Communicative Sanskrit exam, forcing them to appear for the Sanskrit exam would be unfair.

Even if the two subjects were similar, forcing students to write a paper different from the one they chose for their studies will cause serious prejudice. The court further acknowledged that examination deadlines are fixed for valid administrative reasons, including printing of question papers and logistical arrangements. The case presented is extraordinary, where judicial intervention was necessary to prevent injustice. 

As per reports, 38 out of 114 class 10 students from Chinmaya Vidyalaya in Kasaragod had chosen Communicative Sanskrit as their language subject. As per the CBSE guidelines, the subject code for Communicative Sanskrit is 119. While uploading the student registration details on the CBSE Portal, the school mistakenly entered the subject code as 122. The error remained unnoticed until January 12, 2026, just weeks before the board exam was scheduled. The CBSE’s correction window had long closed. Once the mistake was noticed, the school submitted a request for correction on January 12, 2026, along with the affected students who also sent representations seeking urgent intervention, followed by additional communications on January 14, 23, 27 and 29, 2026.

The CBSE, however, rejected the request, stating that the correction deadline had expired on October 27, 2025 and could not be reopened. The board also maintained that students could instead appear for Sanskrit under subject code 112, stating that both subjects were similar and comparable. 

The court, while hearing the writ petition, directed that CBSE officials, including the Controller of Examinations and the Regional Officer, correct the subject code from 122 to 119 and permit the 38 students to appear for the Communicative Sanskrit exam. The court, in its order, stated that it should not be treated as a precedent for similar cases in the future. The court also noted that the relief granted is considering the exceptional circumstances and immediate academic disadvantage faced by students.

The judgment also allows CBSE to initiate appropriate action against the school authorities responsible for the mistake. The board has also been permitted to proceed in accordance with the law and recover any costs incurred during the correction process.