Answer Sheet Mismatches, Blurred Copies: CBSE Leadership Changed Amid OSM Storm
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has transferred its Chairman Rahul Singh and Secretary Himanshu Gupta amid mounting controversy surrounding the newly introduced On-Screen Marking (OSM) system and allegations of irregularities in the tender process linked to digital evaluation services.
The reshuffle comes at a crucial time as the board continues to process examination results while facing criticism over evaluation errors, answer-sheet mismatches and concerns regarding the implementation of the digital assessment system.
One-Member Panel To Investigate Procurement Process
The government has constituted a one-member committee headed by S. Radha Chauhan, Chairperson of the Capacity Building Commission, to examine the procurement and implementation of on-screen marking services.
The panel has been tasked with reviewing the tender process and will submit its report to the Department of Personnel and Training within one month.
Evaluation Errors Trigger Student Complaints
The controversy escalated after students reported multiple irregularities in the evaluation process. Several candidates who applied for scanned copies of their answer sheets claimed that the documents uploaded on the portal did not belong to them.
The board has acknowledged that around 20 cases involving answer-sheet mismatches were identified during evaluation.
Apart from answer-sheet mix-ups, complaints also emerged regarding faulty checking, incorrect grading, payment failures on the portal, missing pages and blurred scanned copies.
Cybersecurity experts also raised concerns about potential vulnerabilities and loopholes in the digital platform.
Cybersecurity Measures Strengthened
In response to growing concerns, CBSE recently launched a dedicated portal to address issues linked to the OnMark platform operated by its service provider.
The board said cybersecurity specialists from government agencies and Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) have been deployed to strengthen the platform’s security architecture. The portal is scheduled to remain operational until June 6, 2026.
Tender Process Under Scrutiny
The contract for Digital Scanning and On-Screen Evaluation was awarded to Hyderabad-based Coempt Edu Teck, which was responsible for scanning and digitally evaluating lakhs of answer sheets.
Documents related to the tender process indicate that the original tender issued on August 28, 2025, contained provisions allowing CBSE to recommend blacklisting vendors, forfeiting performance guarantees and terminating contracts in cases of serious violations.
However, critics have pointed out that the final agreement diluted some of these provisions.
What Changed In The Final Contract?
Under the final six-page agreement, vendors can face significant financial penalties and contract termination but cannot be blacklisted.
The contract imposes a penalty of Rs 1 lakh for every 15-minute delay in resolving critical issues reported by CBSE. A similar penalty applies for delays exceeding 60 minutes in submitting root-cause analyses and corrective action plans.
The agreement also allows forfeiture of security deposits and termination of services in serious cases.
Issue Reaches Parliament
The controversy has now reached Parliament, where opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, have accused the CBSE and the government of serious lapses.
Concerns raised include blurred answer sheets, allegations of mobile-phone-based scanning and potential breaches of student data.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education has summoned CBSE officials and the Education Secretary to explain the reported discrepancies and concerns over re-evaluation fees.
Adding to the scrutiny, a 17-year-old student from Jharkhand, Sarthak Sidhant, appeared before a parliamentary panel and highlighted alleged irregularities in the vendor selection process, raising questions about transparency and accountability in the implementation of the OSM system.
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