The controversy surrounding the Central Board of Secondary Education's (CBSE) On-Screen Marking (OSM) system has intensified, with the Centre transferring CBSE Chairman Rahul Singh and Secretary Himanshu Gupta while ordering a detailed inquiry into the procurement process of the digital evaluation platform. The move comes amid growing concerns over alleged discrepancies in answer sheets uploaded for re-evaluation and questions regarding the awarding of the OSM contract.
According to official sources, the Ministry of Education has constituted an inquiry committee to examine the procurement of OSM services by CBSE. The panel will scrutinise the tendering process, the selection of the service provider COEMPT, and whether all prescribed rules and procedures were followed before the contract was awarded.
The ministry has sought a comprehensive report from CBSE detailing every stage of the tender process, including the officials involved in the decision-making mechanism. Sources indicate that preliminary information has already been gathered, and the ministry is now examining documents related to the contract award.
The OSM system, which enables digital evaluation and re-evaluation of answer sheets, came under the spotlight after several students reported discrepancies in answer scripts uploaded on the board's portal. The complaints triggered widespread concern among students and parents, prompting the ministry to initiate a review of the entire process.
The developments coincide with technical challenges faced by CBSE's re-evaluation portal. The board recently disclosed that its online platform was subjected to a massive cyberattack while students were accessing services related to verification and re-evaluation of Class 12 examination results.
In a statement posted on social media platform X, CBSE revealed that malicious actors attempted to disrupt portal operations through a barrage of cyberattacks. The board reported that the portal experienced nearly 1.5 million hits within just two minutes during a denial-of-service attack attempt. Additionally, more than one lakh unauthorised file access attempts were detected during the same period.
Despite the cyber threats, CBSE stated that the system remained operational and continued processing student requests. By 3 PM on the day of the incident, more than 16,000 students had successfully completed their submissions through the portal.
The board further said that it had taken several corrective measures following feedback from students. These include enhancing platform stability and extending session time limits to ensure a smoother and more user-friendly experience during the re-evaluation process.
CBSE has also reiterated the guidelines for students seeking re-evaluation of their answer scripts. Only candidates who have already obtained photocopies of their evaluated answer books are eligible to apply for verification of marks or re-evaluation. Applicants must refer to the official marking scheme for the relevant subject, which is available on the CBSE website along with the question papers.
The board has clarified that the status of requests will be updated through candidates' login credentials. Importantly, CBSE has emphasised that marks may either increase or decrease following re-evaluation, and even a reduction of one mark will be reflected in the final result. The outcome of the re-evaluation process will be final and binding, with no provision for appeal or further review.
As scrutiny over the OSM system intensifies, the inquiry committee's findings are expected to play a crucial role in determining accountability and restoring confidence in the examination and evaluation framework. The investigation is likely to focus not only on the technical and procedural aspects of the contract award but also on the effectiveness and reliability of the digital assessment system that impacts millions of students across the country.
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