Amid mounting criticism over alleged discrepancies in the CBSE Class 12 examination results, Union Education Minister on Thursday said the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has initiated the revaluation process and roped in premier institutions such as IIT Kanpur and IIT Madras to oversee the functioning of its On-Screen Marking (OSM) technology.
Speaking to reporters during a CBSE review meeting, Pradhan said the board had partnered with top technical institutions and public sector banks to strengthen the digital evaluation process and ensure transparency for students seeking re-evaluation of their answer scripts.
“CBSE has involved top agencies, including IIT Kanpur and IIT Madras, to oversee the technology. Four PSU banks — SBI, Indian Bank, Bank of Baroda, and Canara Bank — have integrated payment gateways to support the process,” Pradhan said.
The minister acknowledged that discrepancies had surfaced during the result process and assured students and parents that the government would take responsibility and implement corrective measures wherever necessary.
“The government acknowledges some discrepancies, accepts responsibility, and promises corrective measures. Officials will ensure that no student query is left unresolved and accountability will be ensured at all levels,” he added.
According to the minister, nearly 17 lakh students appeared for the CBSE Class 12 examinations this year, with around 98 lakh answer copies evaluated digitally. The process reportedly involved scanning nearly 40 crore pages under the newly introduced OSM system.
Pradhan described the digital evaluation initiative as a major reform aimed at improving transparency and making the system more student-centric. He said students now have access to scanned copies of their answer sheets, allowing them to review markings and raise concerns directly.
“So far, around 4 lakh students have retrieved their answer sheets, covering nearly 11 lakh copies,” he said.
The CBSE’s On-Screen Marking system, introduced for the first time this year, has however come under intense scrutiny following complaints from students regarding alleged glitches during the re-evaluation process.
The controversy escalated after several students claimed that the scanned copies of answer sheets uploaded on the CBSE portal did not match their handwriting, sparking fears of possible answer-sheet mismatches or technical errors in the digital evaluation mechanism.
Amid growing criticism on social media, the CBSE defended the system in a post on X, asserting that the OSM platform was built on a “secure and robust IT infrastructure” and that no vulnerabilities or compromises had been detected during the actual evaluation process.
The board further said the digital platform had undergone multiple quality and security checks before implementation. It also maintained that answer books were processed through several quality-control mechanisms to minimise the chances of human or technical error.
CBSE officials stressed that the move towards digital evaluation was intended to modernise the examination system and reduce delays in result processing. However, students and parents have continued demanding greater transparency and a thorough review of complaints linked to the evaluation process.
The issue has also triggered political reactions, with opposition leaders questioning the reliability of the new evaluation system and calling for a detailed investigation into the reported discrepancies.
As the revaluation process begins, CBSE is expected to closely monitor complaints and address concerns raised by affected students in the coming weeks.
