Hundreds of Indian students in West Asia are facing an engineering admissions crisis, prompting urgent appeals to the Union education ministry. Despite achieving high ranks in the Joint Entrance Examination Main, many students are disqualified due to unexpectedly low final secondary school grades resulting from an alternative assessment method introduced by the Central Board of Secondary Education. This alternative grading was necessitated by security concerns in Saudi Arabia, which led to the cancellation of several final exams. Parents argue that this method lacked transparency and did not accurately reflect students' academic abilities, causing a significant drop in scores. For instance, the International Indian School Dammam's success rate plummeted to just over 72%, compared to nearly full clearance in previous years. Consequently, many high-performing candidates are unable to meet the 75% aggregate requirement for the Direct Admission of Students Abroad and the Children of Indian Workers in Gulf Countries quotas. In response, over 300 affected families, supported by the Indian Overseas Forum, have petitioned Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan for immediate relief measures, including a temporary relaxation of the minimum aggregate rule and provisions for fresh improvement tests to ensure students do not miss out on crucial academic opportunities.