AFTER the NEET-scarred National Testing Agency, it’s the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) that has come under nationwide scrutiny. The board’s On-Screen Marking (OSM) system has been beset by complaints of glitches and discrepancies. Some Class-12 students have flagged a mismatch between their answer sheets and the scanned copies uploaded under the re-evaluation process. This is much more than a technical problem; it’s a warning about the growing fragility of India’s exam ecosystem, which determines the future of millions of students. The case of a student, Vedant Srivastava, is especially alarming because the CBSE itself admitted that the wrong answer sheet had been shared (it subsequently sent him the correct one). Another examinee, Sanjana, reportedly received a similar response from the board. The acknowledgement of these embarrassing errors is welcome, provided it is followed by strict action against erring officials.
The larger concern is that students had to resort to social media campaigns before corrective steps were taken. In a fair and transparent education system, grievance redressal should not depend on public outrage, political intervention or online visibility. What’s worse, Vedant was brutally trolled for questioning a potentially flawed system. Some Netizens chose to brand the teenager “anti-national” and even “Pakistani” for raising concerns about his marks. It’s shocking that a genuinely aggrieved Indian citizen was treated as a traitor. Should students face harassment merely because their complaints leave premier national organisations red-faced?
Rapid digitisation without adequate testing creates vulnerabilities that disproportionately harm students. The CBSE’s damage-control exercise is no substitute for systemic reform. The board must promptly order an independent audit of the OSM system and scanning procedures. Exam boards and testing agencies are custodians of merit and fair play. India’s beleaguered education system can save face only if it guarantees basic procedural reliability.
