As college admission deadlines approach, thousands of Class 12 students in Punjab are facing uncertainty due to glitches in the Central Board of Secondary Education's (CBSE) new on-screen marking (OSM) system. What was intended to modernize evaluation has instead led to delays, errors, and frustration, particularly for those aiming for competitive exams and higher education.
Technical Glitches and Alleged Scam
What began as technical glitches in CBSE's OSM system has been exposed as a major tender scam by 17-year-old Sarthak Sidhant from Jharkhand. He alleged that conditions were manipulated to favor Hyderabad's Coempt EduTeck (formerly Globarena Technologies). Sarthak presented evidence before a panel chaired by Digvijaya Singh. The central government transferred CBSE Chairman Rahul Singh and Secretary Himanshu Gupta on June 2 and ordered a probe.
How the OSM System Works
Introduced this year for Class 12 board exams, the OSM system involves scanning students' answer sheets and uploading them digitally. Evaluators then mark the copies online instead of handling physical papers. The board projected it as a step toward greater transparency, speed, and standardization.
What Went Wrong?
Students have reported serious issues: unchecked answers, mismatched or blank pages in scanned copies, and unusually low scores in key subjects. The re-evaluation portal, first announced for May 29, was postponed to June 1 and finally opened on June 2, delaying critical mark corrections.
More than 17,000 students from Punjab alone have applied for re-evaluation, with Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics seeing the maximum requests. Accurate board marks are crucial: JEE Main requires at least 75% in Class 12, while universities use these scores for merit lists and counseling.
Rushed Implementation
Teachers involved in the process point to rushed implementation. Raj Kumar, an evaluator from Police DAV School, Jalandhar, said detailed instructions arrived just 12-15 days before evaluation, with minimal hands-on training. A head examiner from Apeejay School noted that experienced teachers were reassigned to junior roles, creating confusion. Evaluator Chandan Khindria added that mock sessions were inadequate and many evaluation centers lacked proper computers and internet. The board had experimented with similar digital evaluation years ago, but this full-scale rollout appears to have been hurried without sufficient preparation.
Students' Ordeal
Himanshu, a non-medical student from Jalandhar, said he attempted nearly all questions in Physics but scored only 14 out of 70. His scanned copy showed several answers were not evaluated. Harshdeep Singh, a JEE aspirant, found blank pages in his Chemistry answer sheet, raising fears over his admission prospects. "These discrepancies are putting us in limbo at a crucial time," he said. Students state that they are already under pressure because admissions are closing, and now even the re-evaluation portal is not working properly. It feels like we are stuck with no clarity about our marks or future.
With counseling sessions and competitive exam eligibility deadlines approaching, students are racing against time. The episode highlights the risks of rapid technological shifts in high-stakes examinations without robust testing and training. CBSE has not yet issued a detailed response on the scale of complaints. Despite these actions, uncertainty continues for students. The re-evaluation portal, already delayed earlier, reportedly faced intermittent crashes after going live on June 2, preventing many students from submitting objections.
