Kerala postpones Class 10 and 12 board exams in Gulf centers over security concerns

Kerala has postponed its Class 10 and Class 12 board examinations scheduled this week at centers across the Middle East, citing escalating security concerns in the region.

State General Education Minister V Sivankutty announced the decision, stating that the prevailing situation has made it unfeasible to conduct public examinations as planned. Revised dates will be communicated at a later stage.

Addressing a press conference, the minister said the deteriorating security environment in the Gulf has prevented authorities from proceeding with the exams. "The revised dates for the postponed examinations will be announced later," he said.

The Secondary School Leaving Certificate examination slated for March 5 at Gulf centers has been postponed. Higher Secondary examinations scheduled for March 5, 6, and 7 in the region have also been postponed, Sivankutty confirmed.

The affected region includes Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, where a significant number of students from the Indian expatriate community are enrolled in Kerala’s state board system.

Students unable to appear for the examinations due to flight disruptions, local restrictions, or other issues linked to the unrest have been instructed to submit applications through their respective headmasters or principals to the Director of General Education at the earliest.

Officials said such applications will be assessed on merit, and decisions will be taken after due consideration to ensure fairness to affected candidates.

The department emphasized that steps are being taken so that no student’s academic prospects are adversely affected by the extraordinary geopolitical developments.

Kerala conducts board examinations annually for thousands of expatriate students in the Gulf. At present, seven centers in the Middle East cater to 633 Class 10 students, along with multiple centers for Class 12 candidates.

Education authorities said they are closely monitoring the evolving situation and will issue further instructions as necessary.