'Education Has Become a Rat Race': Madras High Court Lets CBSE Student Write Additional Maths Exam

“Education = Learning throughout the world. But, in this part of the world, education = admission to a medical seat or engineering seat. Parents make the children to run the terrible rat race,” the Madras High Court observed while allowing a Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) student to appear for the Class XII Mathematics examination as an additional subject.

The observation was made by Justice D. Bharatha Chakravarthy while hearing a writ petition filed by B. Shajimon seeking permission for his daughter, S. Aswatha, to write Mathematics as an additional subject in the CBSE Senior School Certificate Examination for the academic year 2025–2026.

The case arose after the CBSE rejected the student’s request to appear for Mathematics as an additional subject. According to the petitioner, the student had initially enrolled in Class XI with English, Biology, Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics at Sri Chaitanya Techno School under the CBSE stream.

However, while submitting subject details to CBSE, Mathematics was replaced with Physical Education. The change was reportedly made because the student intended to appear for the NEET examination and pursue medicine as a career.

The petitioner told the court that the student was unsuccessful in NEET and later realised that Mathematics would be necessary if she wished to pursue engineering. He therefore requested CBSE to permit her to take Mathematics as an additional subject and appear for the board examination as a private candidate under CBSE Bye-law 43.

CBSE, however, rejected the request through an order dated January 8, 2026. The board argued that under its regulations, a student must study a subject for two academic years—Class XI and Class XII—to be eligible to appear for the board examination. Since the student had not formally taken Mathematics for both years in the official records submitted to CBSE, she could not be permitted to write the examination as an additional subject.

During the hearing, the petitioner relied on a judgment of the Delhi High Court in which students had been permitted to take an additional subject despite a policy change. CBSE opposed the reliance, contending that the case involved a different factual situation relating to gap-year students and that an appeal against the judgment was pending before a division bench.

While examining the matter, the Madras High Court noted that material placed on record indicated that the student had actually studied Mathematics throughout Class XI and for some period in Class XII before the subject change was made in the formal submission to CBSE.

Court also reflected on the broader pressures faced by students in India’s education system. It remarked that parents often push children into a “terrible rat race” driven by competitive examinations such as NEET and engineering entrance tests. In this process, court said, parents frequently change their children’s subjects based on perceived advantages in entrance examinations rather than academic interest or long-term learning.

Court further noted that such decisions are often taken with the belief that focusing on fewer subjects would help students score higher marks in competitive exams. However, when those plans fail, students can find themselves at an academic crossroads.

Taking into account what it described as the “extreme precarious situation” faced by the student, court held that the law should lean in favour of correcting procedural issues when the factual position indicates that the student had indeed studied the subject.

Accordingly, court directed the petitioner and the student to appear before the CBSE regional director on or before March 3, 2026 with proof showing that she had studied Mathematics during Class XI and part of Class XII, including notebooks and other academic records. If satisfied with the proof, the board was directed to permit the student to take Mathematics as an additional subject in the supplementary examination scheduled for March 9, 2026 and declare the result accordingly.

Court clarified that the directions were issued considering the peculiar facts of the case and disposed of the writ petition without costs.

Case Title: B. Shajimon vs Union of India & Ors.

Order Date: 25 February 2026

Bench: Justice D. Bharatha Chakravarthy