CBSE alerts schools: 45 students per section maximum—no exception

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has released a fresh circular to schools that are affiliated to the board stating that now they can admit up to 45 students per section in exceptional cases.

 

This action, as spelt out in Circular No. 11/2025, is intended to resolve issues faced by schools in hosting students, especially when dealing with transfers or other special circumstances. The exception will only be exercised where schools cannot keep within the standard cap of 40 students per section.

 

Major changes and background overview

This order is a sequel to an earlier resolution made by the board in August 2023, where it had eased the student number from 40 to 45 for the 2023-24 to 2025-26 academic sessions. The relaxation was made to enable schools to manage current numbers of students and make admissions commensurate with the prescribed standards. It was also anticipated that schools would, however, endeavor to control student admission incrementally and maintain classroom emptiness.

Earlier, in May 2024, CBSE had announced an amendment permitting schools to admit students mid-session or those who come under the category of "essential repeat" over the 40-student cap, but only on a case-to-case basis. Applications were to be made by schools to the respective Regional Offices for sanction. This latest revision widens the ambit of exceptions to cover more situations.

 

Conditions for admission over the limit

According to the new guidelines, 45 students per section can be admitted by schools, subject to certain conditions. Schools will have to note the reasons for going beyond the limit in the online registration portal, as well as in the Admission & Withdrawal Register. This will be applicable to all classes from 1 to 12.

The principal conditions are:

 

The school is required to maintain classroom areas of a minimum 500 square feet, as per CBSE's mandatory one square meter of built-up floor area per student. No school is allowed to admit in excess of 45 students per section, even in special situations.

The justification for admitting in excess of 40 students must be recorded and sanctioned through the OASIS portal.

The board has also stressed that such an exception holds in instances where infrastructure allows, with an immediate appeal for schools to enhance physical infrastructure wherever possible in order to ultimately revert to the ideal student-to-classroom ratio.