The Council for The Indian School Certificate Examination (CISCE), more popularly known as ICSE (ICSE is name for certificate awarded to Std X students), has advised its affiliated schools across the country not to admit students from CBSE who gave the school-based exam.

Gerry Arathoon, officiating chief executive of CISCE said, “We have decided not to admit any student of the CBSE who has given his or her Std X exam through the school. We have informed our affiliated schools to ensure that the directive is followed.”

Things are not better for CBSE students who gave board exams either. Students are required to provide a letter from their school principal stating they appeared for a board-based exam. Only then will they be given admission to Std XI.

CBSE chairman Vineet Joshi said, “We understand the situation on the ground fully. I can confirm to you that we have started our discussions with Maharashtra government and CISCE. At this moment, I really cannot divulge where our discussions stand, but within a week we will certainly have a solution.”

With only 12 working days to go before the centralized admission process (CAP) closes in Nagpur, CBSE students find themselves in a bind.

School-based exam passouts cannot get admitted while board-based students cannot fulfil conditions put on them. The way things are now, none of the CBSE class X students will get admission to either state board or ICSE.

All eyes now are on the CBSE discussions with the Maharastra government, with the clock ticking fast for students. But if the recent caveat filed by the state government at the Bombay HC is anything to go by, it seems very unlikely that they will change their decision. However, the International Baccularate (IB) and IGCSE board have kept their doors open to CBSE students.