Gulf students face DASA admission uncertainty despite strong JEE Main scores

Hyderabad: Uncertainty prevails among hundreds of Indian students in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries over engineering admissions in India despite performing well in the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main.

More than 300 parents have appealed to Indian authorities for support.

Gulf students worried over DASA eligibility

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) adopted an alternative assessment system after some board examinations could not be conducted in Saudi Arabia due to the regional security situation.

However, the parents believe the assessment method did not fully reflect the actual academic abilities of students.

Several students who secured strong JEE Main percentiles are now facing admission uncertainty due to lower Class XII aggregate marks or subject-related result issues.

They are worried due to the required 75 percent eligibility criteria under the Direct Admission of Students Abroad (DASA) and Children of Indian Workers in Gulf Countries (CIWG) admission categories.

Indian Overseas Forum seeks relief

The Indian Overseas Forum, which is led by President Anil Malpani, has submitted a representation to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan seeking special consideration for affected students.

In the representation, one-time relief measures were requested. The representation asked authorities to consider:

1. Relaxation of the 75 percent Class XII eligibility rule for DASA/CIWG admissions
2. Special passing consideration wherever needed
3. Permission for fresh or improvement examinations
4. Acceptance of better scores between current assessment and future exams
5. Early clarification before counselling processes begin

Fall in CBSE results raises concern

The sudden drop in Class XII pass percentages in some Gulf-based Indian schools was also highlighted.

The International Indian School Dammam reportedly recorded a pass percentage of 72.80 percent in 2026. Earlier, it mostly remained between 98 and 100 percent.

Parents are demanding transparency regarding assessment methods.