Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday assured students and parents that strict action shall be taken if any irregularities are found in the Central Board of Secondary Education’s (CBSE) newly-introduced On-screen marking (OSM) system, amid growing grievances over the evaluation and re-evaluation process.
Speaking to media-persons after a high-level meeting with CBSE officials in Delhi, Minister Pradhan acknowledged that discrepancies had emerged during the implementation of the digital evaluation model and said he was personally taking responsibility for the issue.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan
He said, “Certain discrepancies have come to our notice and I take responsibility for them. These issues will be rectified, and appropriate solutions will be worked out.”
Adding to the statements, he said that no grievances would be left unaddressed.
Students raised complaints over scanned copies, portal glitches
Notably, the controversy erupted after thousands of students, who wished to access scanned copies of their answer sheets, faced difficulties such as blurred scanned pages, alleged unchecked answers, portal crashes, payment failures and confusion regarding the re-evaluation process.
Despite facing criticism, Minister Pradhan defended the OSM model, terming it a ‘progressive instrument’ aimed at improving transparency in the examination system. He said, “Many universities and institutions in India and across the world are switching to this system. It is student-centric and designed for the benefit of students.”
CBSE logo
“40 crore scanned pages evaluated”: Minister Pradhan
Shedding more light on the details of the OSM process, Minister Pradhan said that close to 40 crore scanned pages were evaluated for the first time through the OSM process. He said all answer sheets had been preserved and insisted that the transition to digital evaluation represented a major technological step forward for India’s education landscape.
Evaluation concerns trigger political row
The matter has lately evolved into a political flashpoint after the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, raised questions over the handling of the evaluation process and demanded accountability from the Centre. Minister Pradhan responded to Gandhi’s statements, asserting that the CBSE had already issued clarifications and maintained that the system was implemented according to government procurement norms.
Rahul Gandhi
He said firmly, “I want to assure everyone that if any irregularities are found, no one will be spared.”