New Delhi: The Central Government has transferred the Chairman and Secretary of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) amid mounting controversy surrounding the board’s newly introduced On-Screen Marking (OSM) system. The move comes as concerns continue to grow over alleged irregularities in the evaluation process, technical glitches, and questions surrounding the procurement and implementation of the digital assessment platform.
CBSE Chairman Rahul Singh and Secretary Himanshu Gupta have been removed from their positions while the board is in the process of declaring examination results. The action follows widespread criticism from students, parents, lawmakers, and education experts regarding the functioning of the OSM system, which was introduced to modernize the evaluation of answer sheets through digital scanning and on-screen assessment.
Alongside the transfers, the government has constituted a one-member inquiry committee to examine the procurement process related to the on-screen marking services. The committee will be headed by S. Radha Chauhan, Chairperson of the Capacity Building Commission. According to official information, the panel has been tasked with investigating the tendering and contracting process and is expected to submit its findings to the Department of Personnel and Training within one month.
The controversy stems from a series of reported irregularities linked to the digital evaluation process. Among the major concerns raised were answer sheet mix-ups, evaluation discrepancies, faulty checking procedures, and incorrect allocation of grades. Several students who sought scanned copies of their answer sheets reportedly discovered that the documents uploaded on the portal did not belong to them, raising serious questions about the integrity of the evaluation system.
CBSE officials have acknowledged that approximately 20 cases of answer-sheet mismatches were detected during the evaluation process. While the board has maintained that the number of affected cases remains limited compared to the overall volume of examinations conducted, the incidents have sparked significant concern among students and parents.
In addition to evaluation-related issues, students and cybersecurity experts have highlighted technical shortcomings in the digital platform. Complaints have included blurred answer sheets, missing pages, payment failures, and difficulties in accessing records. Critics have argued that such problems undermine confidence in a system responsible for evaluating the academic performance of lakhs of students across the country.
Responding to growing concerns, CBSE recently launched a dedicated portal to address cybersecurity issues associated with the OnMark platform, which is operated by its service provider. The board stated that it had engaged cybersecurity experts from various government agencies and leading Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) to strengthen the platform’s security framework and address vulnerabilities. The portal is expected to remain operational until June 6, 2026.
The controversy has also brought renewed attention to the tendering process through which the digital evaluation contract was awarded. CBSE had selected Hyderabad-based Coempt Edu Teck to manage the scanning and digital evaluation of answer sheets under the OSM system. However, documents related to the tender process have reportedly revealed significant differences between the original tender provisions and the terms included in the final contract.
According to reports, the original tender floated by CBSE on August 28, 2025, contained stringent enforcement provisions. These reportedly included the authority to recommend forfeiture of the vendor’s Performance Bank Guarantee (PBG), blacklisting of the company, and termination of the contract in the event of serious violations or failures.
However, concerns have been raised over the fact that the final contract did not retain provisions related to blacklisting the vendor. Instead, the agreement focused primarily on financial penalties and contract termination. Under the final terms, the vendor could face a penalty of Rs 1 lakh for every 15-minute delay in resolving critical issues identified by CBSE. A similar penalty would apply for every 60-minute delay in submitting a root-cause analysis and corrective action plan following a reported problem. The contract also allowed CBSE to forfeit security deposits and terminate the agreement in serious cases.
The matter has now reached Parliament, where several opposition leaders have questioned both the implementation of the system and the tendering process. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and other opposition members have accused the board and the government of failing to safeguard students’ interests, citing reports of blurred answer sheets, mobile-phone-based scanning methods, and concerns regarding potential data breaches.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education has also taken note of the issue and summoned CBSE officials along with the Education Secretary to explain the reported discrepancies in evaluation and concerns regarding re-evaluation fees.
Adding to the scrutiny, Sarthak Sidhant, a 17-year-old student from Jharkhand who was reportedly affected by the online marking system, appeared before a parliamentary panel and presented his concerns regarding the alleged irregularities in the tendering process. According to reports, he highlighted perceived anomalies in vendor selection and raised a series of questions for the board regarding accountability and transparency.
