CBSE affiliation row: 11 students to appear for Haryana board

Students to appear at Kadipur govt school starting with Maths. Parents say sudden board change has caused stress despite NCERT overlap.

Parents of 11 students who missed their Class 10 Central Board of Secondary Education examinations have expressed concern after the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday directed that the students may appear for Haryana State Board of Education exams, subject to the submission of the requisite fees.

CBSE affiliation row: 11 students to appear for Haryana board

While the order offers a chance to salvage the academic year, families said the sudden shift in board has heightened stress due to differences in exam patterns and syllabi. According to parents, 10 of the 11 students have submitted the fees and received provisional admit cards. The students will appear for the Haryana State Board Class 10 examinations at Government Senior Secondary School, Kadipur, beginning Thursday with Mathematics as the first paper.

Parents of nine students had approached the High Court on February 19. During an urgent hearing on Monday, the court allowed them to sit for the Haryana Board examinations starting February 25, 2026, in place of the CBSE exams, subject to the issuance of provisional admit cards. The court also observed that the two students not part of the petition should, similarly, be permitted to appear.

To be sure, while both boards follow the NCERT syllabus, the state board places greater emphasis on Haryana-specific content, particularly in social science and literature.

Jasvir Kaur, mother of one student, said, “Our children prepared for the CBSE board examinations until February 16. Now, all of a sudden, they have to appear for the state board exams. They are under immense stress. We cannot even refuse, as it concerns our children’s academic future and careers. For us, it feels like a do-or-die situation.”

Another parent, requesting anonymity, said, “Although some books are similar across both boards, our child had prepared specifically for the CBSE curriculum. The difficulty level is different, and my child has opted for the basic mathematics paper. Adjusting to the state board under these circumstances is tough.”

District education officer Indu Boken said the transition would not significantly affect preparation as NCERT books are largely similar. “The students will appear for all subjects under the state board examinations, which will ensure that their academic year is saved,” she said.

Shweta Verma, an independent counselling psychologist who has worked with several educational institutions in Gurugram, said, “Most parents and students are stressed due to the sudden change in the education board—this is a natural human reaction. Once the students appear for their exams, they are likely to feel more confident. Over the past few days, they have been on an emotional roller-coaster, so feeling this way is completely normal,” she added.

On February 18, one of the parent Rajendra Singh filed a complaint, following which an FIR was registered at Sector 9A police station under sections 3(5) (common intention), 316(2) (criminal breach of trust) and 318(4) (cheating) of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Educrest International School was not affiliated with the CBSE and had routed its Class 10 students through two private schools in New Delhi for board registration. One of the schools via which 11 students were initially enrolled was suspended in October, after which their enrolment were shifted to a private school in Palwal. In November, the Palwal-based school wrote to the CBSE, stating that the 11 students could not be added to its enrolment list due to late admission, district education department officials said.

Despite multiple attempts by HT, Educrest International did not respond to requests for a comment.