- Supreme Court denied reopening CBSE on-screen mark verification window for students
- Verification window was open for a fixed period and reopening could disrupt exams
- CJI Surya Kant questioned fairness to students who missed the original deadline
The Supreme Court has refused to reopen the closed window for students who wanted to apply for post-result on-screen mark verification under the CBSE's On-Screen Marking (OSM) system. The court said that the verification window had already been open for a fixed period for all students. "Reopening it at this stage could affect the entire examination and admission process," the court added.
During the hearing, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant questioned why students who did not apply within the given deadline should be given another chance when many other students had submitted their applications on time.
The CJI remarked, "You did not use the bus; you missed the bus."
The court also noted that similar cases come up every year and that it had not interfered in such matters last year either.
Why Did Students Approach the Supreme Court?
The case was related to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) concerning CBSE's On-Screen Marking (OSM) evaluation system.
Some students said they were still facing problems with their CBSE marks. They claimed that some of them had cleared entrance examinations but were unable to meet the required eligibility criteria because of their CBSE results.
The petitioners therefore asked the Supreme Court to reopen the complaint window and allow students who had missed the earlier deadline to request verification of their answer sheets.
CBSE and Centre's Response
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, told the court that around 1.68 lakh students had already applied through the CBSE complaint window and their answer sheets had been rechecked.
He said that a one-member committee had been set up to examine complaints related to the evaluation process. Students were given a one-week window to submit their complaints.
The Centre argued that the window could not be reopened at this stage because CBSE marks are linked to entrance examinations and college admissions.
JEE Main and Admissions Also Discussed
During the hearing, the Solicitor General pointed out that CBSE marks are important for several entrance examinations and admission processes, including JEE Main.
He said that these examinations and admission procedures cannot be kept uncertain for an indefinite period.
Supreme Court's Decision
The Supreme Court said that reopening the portal now could result in a large number of fresh claims and may disturb the entire process. The court therefore refused to direct CBSE to reopen the post-result mark verification or re-evaluation window.
