Rahul Gandhi Assails Centre Over CBSE On-Screen Marking System Flaws

The Hindustan Times, on May 28, 2026, reported that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi intensified his criticism of the Central government over the widespread controversy surrounding the Central Board of Secondary Education's (CBSE) On-Screen Marking (OSM) system. Gandhi notably stated that 'Attacks on me won't absolve crimes,' directly responding to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's accusations of frustration and politicization. The CBSE OSM controversy, primarily unfolding in May and June 2026, centered on the newly implemented digital evaluation system for Class 12 board examinations. The system involved scanning physical answer sheets for digital assessment by evaluators. Following the announcement of Class 12 results on May 13, 2026, a significant number of students reported numerous issues. These included blurred scanned copies of answer sheets, missing pages, instances where students received answer sheets belonging to others, unmarked answers, and discrepancies between awarded marks and visible evaluations. The overall pass percentage for Class 12 in 2026 saw a notable decline to 85.20%, marking a drop of 3.19 percentage points from the previous year and the lowest figure recorded since the post-pandemic return to regular examinations. Beyond evaluation errors, technical glitches plagued the CBSE's post-result services portal, specifically affecting payment gateways for re-evaluation and verification processes. Students faced difficulties accessing scanned copies, incorrect fee deductions, and payment failures. While CBSE initially defended the OSM system as secure, it later acknowledged security gaps and, in response to mounting pressure, reduced the fees for scanned photocopies, verification, and re-evaluation. Technical experts from IIT Madras and IIT Kanpur, along with public sector undertaking (PSU) banks, were reportedly brought in to assist CBSE in resolving these widespread glitches. Rahul Gandhi's involvement escalated the political dimension of the controversy. He consistently backed the aggrieved students and launched strong accusations against the government. He alleged 'fraud' in the scanning process and raised serious questions about the integrity of the tender process for the OSM system. A key focus of his criticism was the contract awarded to Coempt Eduteck, the company responsible for the OSM system. Gandhi alleged that the CBSE had diluted technical requirements and lowered standards in successive tender rounds, seemingly to favor Coempt, a company he claimed had been embroiled in previous controversies under a different name. He questioned whether proper background checks were conducted or if concerns were deliberately ignored, asserting the government's complicity. In his strong statements, Rahul Gandhi demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and called for an independent judicial probe into the alleged irregularities. He labeled Pradhan as 'incompetent' and accused him of heading a 'compromised Ministry'. Gandhi also highlighted the government's perceived tendency to label young students raising legitimate concerns as 'anti-nationals' or 'deep state agents,' following his interactions with affected students. Furthermore, he criticized the transfer of the CBSE Chairman and Secretary as a mere 'cover-up' rather than genuine accountability, reiterating his call for Pradhan's dismissal. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, while acknowledging the discrepancies and assuring strict action against any found irregularities, initially defended the OSM system as a modern and progressive evaluation method designed to enhance transparency. However, he concurrently criticized Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of politicizing student issues and reflecting frustration stemming from electoral defeats. Pradhan also alleged that Gandhi consistently opposed India's technological and scientific advancements. The controversy underscored the challenges of transitioning India's high-stakes examination system towards digitisation without compromising fairness, transparency, and student trust, leading to broader discussions about educational reforms and accountability.

Frequently Asked Questions

Read Full Story on Quick Digest