Education Minister Sasmit Pokharel Responds After Class 12 Students Protest Over NEB Results

KATHMANDU, June 25 — Class 12 students staged a protest at Maitighar in Kathmandu on Thursday (25 June, 2026), demanding a transparent review of this year’s board examination evaluation process after many students expressed dissatisfaction with the recently published Grade 12 results, while Education Minister Sasmit Pokharel later responded saying the National Examination Board’s result process was clear and reliable.

Students gathered at Maitighar from late morning, with security personnel deployed to manage the protest.

The Grade 12 results were published on June 19, 2026. This year’s National Examination Board Grade 12 examinations were held from Baishakh 14 to Baishakh 27, 2083, corresponding to April 27 to May 10, 2026.

The students said many candidates believe their marks do not reflect their expected performance. They claimed that several students who had consistently performed well in previous examinations received lower-than-expected scores in the NEB results.

Some students alleged that answer sheets may have been checked in a rushed manner to publish the results early. They said their demand was not for marks without reason, but for a fair, transparent and reliable evaluation system.

The concern comes after the Education Ministry pushed for examination results to be published within one month under the new RSP-led government, which came to power following the March 2026 national election. Students have linked their concerns to the faster result-publication timeline, saying the pressure to publish results quickly may have affected answer-sheet evaluation.

After the protest, Education Minister Sasmit Pokharel responded through a Facebook post, saying the NEB’s result process was clear and reliable. He said the results were not published in a rush, but were released on time by adding necessary human resources and reducing unnecessary administrative steps.

Pokharel said peaceful protests and the right to raise concerns must be respected in a democratic society. He also requested people not to make abusive, negative or disrespectful comments against students or any group peacefully expressing their views.

The minister also announced that a committee has been formed to conduct sample testing of answer sheets and verify marks and data entry. According to him, the committee will include deputy secretary-level representatives from the Ministry of Education and Sports and the Curriculum Development Centre.

The protest and the minister’s response are expected to keep public attention on examination evaluation, result reliability and accountability in the national board exam system.