When CBSE declared Class 12 results on May 13, social media quickly filled with complaints from students and parents questioning the board's marking system. Many claimed their marks were unexpectedly low, students raised doubts over the On-Screen Marking (OSM) system and process of copy checking used by the board.
As a reporter, I started speaking to students, parents and CBSE examiners on May 15. The frustration was visible everywhere. Students who had consistently scored well in school were suddenly struggling to understand their board results. Parents accused the system of becoming mechanical and opaque.
The issue became serious enough for the Ministry of Education and CBSE to step in publicly. Soon after, School Education Secretary Sanjay Kumar and senior CBSE officials held a press conference to address the growing outrage.
I attended that press conference and asked three direct questions to the board whether the On-Screen Marking system was creating problems, whether evaluators were being rushed during copy checking, and whether step-by-step marking was actually being followed.
CBSE defended its system and announced the schedule for obtaining scanned photocopies of answer sheets and re-evaluation applications. Students were told they could apply online between May 19 and May 22.
But the irony is this: even CBSE's own portal failed to handle the pressure.
On the very first day, students started complaining that the website was crashing, freezing during payment, or not accepting applications. The board extended the deadline once. Then again. On May 22, CBSE issued another circular saying it was witnessing "unprecedented traffic" and even "attempts of unauthorised interference" on the portal.
The deadline was finally pushed to May 24.
Today, on the last day of applications, I personally witnessed the same chaos students had been complaining about for days.
My cousin, who scored more than 82 percent in PCB and is currently preparing for a re-NEET examination, was unhappy with her Chemistry marks and wanted a scanned photocopy of her answer sheet.
I decided to go through the process myself.
The portal initially worked smoothly. Registration was simple roll number, admit card details, mobile number, email ID and address. Login was successful. Subject selection also worked without issue. The whole process is in 5 steps. In the first step we selected Chemistry and moved ahead.
Then third step came the payment page.
I have applied for one subject so my application fee was Rs. 100. I paid through UPI. The amount was deducted instantly from the bank account.
But on the CBSE portal, the screen flashed: "Verification Failed."
Below it was another message asking applicants to wait for 24 hours if payment had been successful.
At that moment, the complaints flooding social media suddenly stopped being just another story I was reporting on. I was experiencing the same issue myself.
This is exactly what thousands of students and parents have been alleging for days payments getting deducted but applications not updating, delayed confirmations, inaccessible answer-sheet downloads and repeated technical failures.
What makes the situation worse is that these glitches continued even after CBSE extended the deadline multiple times to "fix" backend issues.
And if the board's portal is witnessing such massive traffic for answer-sheet photocopies and re-evaluation requests, it raises an uncomfortable question: are more students dissatisfied with their marks than CBSE is willing to admit?
The pressure became so intense that even Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan stepped in on the final day and directed experts from Indian Institute of Technology Madras and Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur to assist CBSE in making the re-evaluation process glitch-free.
Minister later speak to Union Finance Minister for support in overhaul of CBSE Payment Gateway System and Four Public Sector Banks to Assist CBSE in strengthening payment gateway systems.
Unfortunately, Minister intervention was late because today is the last day and as I am writing this news, CBSE has not announced the extension of form.
Yet, hours after the payment was made at 1:18 PM, the scanned photocopy was still unavailable for download.
For students already under pressure from competitive exams, admissions and uncertain cut-offs, the technical breakdown has added another layer of anxiety.
And for me, this story stopped being just a report the moment I sat in front of that screen watching "Verification Failed" appear after a successful payment.