The Centre has defended the CBSE's On-Screen Marking (OSM) system amid mounting criticism over answer-sheet discrepancies, portal glitches and technical disruptions reported by students during the board's post-result review process.
Calling digital evaluation the "future of assessment", a senior government source told NDTV that the transition towards technology-driven evaluation would continue despite the ongoing controversy.
"With the growing use of AI, dependence on conventional manual assessment methods will reduce over time," the official told NDTV.
The remarks come at a time when several students have reported receiving incorrect answer sheets during the re-evaluation process, while others have complained of blurred scanned copies, portal crashes and abnormal payment demands while trying to access their evaluated scripts online.
The OSM system, introduced as part of the board's push towards digitisation, involves scanning physical answer sheets and uploading them to a digital platform for evaluation by teachers remotely. The CBSE and the Education Ministry have argued that the system improves transparency, reduces logistical delays, eliminates manual totalling errors, and allows answer scripts to be evaluated across regions through a standardised process.
Government Admits Portal Faced "Unauthorised Attacks"
In a significant admission, government sources acknowledged that the CBSE's post-result portal had come under "unauthorised attacks", contributing to major technical disruptions faced by Class 12 students applying for scanned copies of their answer sheets.
"The portal was down several times. Technical flaws were there. IIT Madras and IIT Kanpur are also looking into this aspect," a senior official said.
According to officials, the payment-related glitches that sparked outrage among students were linked to these disruptions.
"That is why the payment details showed Rs 67,000 for accessing answer sheets in some cases and Re 1 in others," the official said.
Several students had earlier posted screenshots on social media showing unusually high payment amounts being generated on the CBSE portal while applying for access to answer books under the revised post-result review process.
Officials said the payment gateway issues have now been resolved after HDFC Bank was removed from the process following what was described as a malicious attack on the portal infrastructure.
"Tests were conducted yesterday on the gateways of four public sector banks - Bank of Baroda, Canara Bank, State Bank of India and Indian Bank - and they were smooth," the official said.
Despite the disruptions, officials continued to defend the digital evaluation framework, insisting that the OSM process remained "transparent and foolproof".
Tender Award to COEMPT Under Scrutiny
The CBSE's decision to award the digital evaluation contract to COEMPT Eduteck has also come under scrutiny amid the controversy over technical glitches and answer-sheet discrepancies.
Responding to questions about the selection process, officials said the company was chosen only after multiple rounds of bidding.
According to the official, the first round of bidding allocated 70 per cent weightage to technical expertise and 30 per cent to financial capability. In that round, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) was reportedly the only company to qualify.
"Since a single bid alone cannot be accepted as per rules, it had to be cancelled," the official explained.
Officials said the second round of bidding also failed to produce a successful bidder.
"In the third round, during the financial bid, COEMPT quoted Rs 24.75, including taxes, per answer sheet, while TCS quoted around Rs 65, including taxes. The difference was huge. We are required to award the contract to the lowest bidder and hence COEMPT was selected," the official said.
Officials also defended the company's credentials, saying COEMPT was already handling similar post-examination and digital evaluation work in states such as Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat.
Referring to the controversy linked to the company's work in Telangana in 2019, the official said the High Court found no wrongdoing by the firm and that a Special Leave Petition filed later in the Supreme Court was dismissed.
At the same time, officials indicated that penalties could be imposed on the company over issues reported during the current evaluation cycle.
CBSE Re-Evaluation Portal Postponed to June 1
Amid the continuing row, CBSE has postponed the reopening of its verification and re-evaluation portal for Class 12 students from May 29 to June 1.
In a statement posted on X, the board said the delay was aimed at ensuring a "transparent and glitch-free process" for students applying through the Post-Result Activities portal.
"To ensure a transparent and glitch-free process for verification and re-evaluation of answer books of students who intend to submit their applications on the Post-Result Activities portal, it has been decided that the designated portal will now be operational from June 1, 2026. This is to ensure the highest standards and protocols of evaluation," CBSE said.
A CBSE official also confirmed that the board was continuing to strengthen the portal infrastructure before reopening applications.
"CBSE will share an update on the restarting of the portal. The portal will not open today. It will open on June 1 because we are still strengthening the website," the official told NDTV.
The verification and re-evaluation facility is available only to students who have already obtained scanned copies of their evaluated answer books.
How the Revised Re-Evaluation Process Will Work?
Education Ministry officials said the reopening of the portal on June 1 would mark the next phase of the OSM-based post-result review mechanism.
Under the revised system, students can raise question-wise objections instead of seeking a blanket review of the entire answer script.
"The portal will reopen for the objections round. Students can challenge specific questions where they are not satisfied with the marks awarded. These questions will then be evaluated again and any change in marks, if warranted, will be notified subsequently," an official said.
Officials explained that students would be required to compare their responses with the official CBSE marking scheme before filing objections. Candidates will also have to provide reasons supporting their claims while applying for re-evaluation.
Once objections are submitted, the identified answers will again be assessed digitally through the OSM system by subject experts. If discrepancies are found, marks will be revised and updated accordingly, officials said.
For verification of marks, students are required to pay Rs 500 per answer book, while re-evaluation requests carry a fee of Rs 100 per question.
OSM Introduced Amid Push for Digital Evaluation
The revised post-result mechanism was introduced after concerns were raised by students and teachers following this year's Class 12 results, which were evaluated entirely through the expanded OSM framework.
Earlier this month, the Education Ministry announced a major reduction in post-result charges and assured students that fees would be refunded if marks increased after review.
Education Ministry Secretary Sanjay Kumar had said the move was intended to ensure that "no child feels, for any reason whatsoever, that they have received lower marks than they deserve."
Under the revised fee structure, the cost of obtaining scanned copies of answer sheets was reduced from Rs 700 to Rs 100 per subject, verification charges were lowered from Rs 500 to Rs 100, and re-evaluation fees were cut from Rs 100 to Rs 25 per question.
The controversy surrounding OSM has intensified after the Class 12 pass percentage dropped to 85.20 per cent this year from 88.39 per cent in 2025 - the sharpest decline recorded in seven years.
While some students and teachers questioned whether the digital evaluation process had affected marking standards, CBSE officials have denied any role of artificial intelligence in the actual marking process.
According to CBSE Chairperson Rahul Singh, nearly 77,000 teachers participated in the evaluation exercise after undergoing large-scale training under the new system.
Even amid criticism and technical setbacks, officials indicated that the digital evaluation model is likely to remain in place for future board examinations.
