Overview

• Circular No. 11/2025 formally permits affiliated schools to exceed the 40-student cap in exceptional cases while maintaining an absolute maximum of 45 students per section
• Exceptions cover mid-session transfers for defence, government, PSU and private-sector relocations, essential repeat admissions, critical medical cases, hostel-to-day-scholar shifts and academic readmissions
• Each classroom seeking the exception must offer at least 500 square feet of space and provide one square metre of built-up area per student
• Schools are required to log reasons for admissions above 40 on the CBSE portal at registration for Classes IX–XII and enter them in the Admission & Withdrawal Register for Classes I–VIII
• The circular builds on August 2023 and May 2024 relaxations by refining criteria to address enrollment pressures while steering schools back toward the 40-student standard