The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has officially opened its re-evaluation window for Class 12 students, following an unprecedented surge in requests for answer script reviews. More than four lakh students have sought to view their evaluated papers, leading to over 11 lakh individual answer book requests amidst significant controversy surrounding the board’s new On-Screen Marking (OSM) system.
Concerns Over On-Screen Marking System
The core of the unrest lies in the CBSE's decision to implement the On-Screen Marking system for Class 12 evaluations this year. This new approach involved examiners assessing digitally scanned versions of answer sheets instead of physical copies. While intended to modernize and streamline the process, its introduction was met with widespread student dissatisfaction post-results.
Students reported a range of issues, including unexpectedly low scores, instances of incomplete or missing pages in their digital scripts, answers that appeared to be unassessed, and poor quality scans. The portal itself reportedly struggled under load, and there were documented cases of answer sheets being matched to the wrong students entirely, which the CBSE later acknowledged and committed to correcting.
Massive Scale of Student Anxiety
Official data from the CBSE highlights the extent of student concern: 4,04,319 students applied to access their answer books, resulting in 11,31,961 individual answer book requests. Of these, 8,98,214 have already been made available digitally. Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan indicated on May 28 that approximately one in five students might ultimately proceed with a full re-evaluation, although the final figures will emerge as the process unfolds.
Revised Fees and Re-evaluation Process
In response to mounting public pressure and technical difficulties, the CBSE revised its fee structure for post-result services. Students can now obtain a scanned copy of an answer sheet for Rs 100 per subject, with mark verification costing the same. Re-evaluation is billed on a per-question basis. Importantly, the re-evaluation fee will be refunded if a student's marks increase following the review. This marks a significant reduction from previous charges, which included Rs 700 for scanned copies and Rs 500 for mark verification.
The re-evaluation process requires students to first obtain a scanned copy of their answer book. They are then advised to thoroughly review it for unassessed answers, incorrect page totals, or illegible sections. If irregularities are found, students can apply for mark verification, and subsequently request re-evaluation for specific questions. The CBSE has cautioned that re-evaluation can lead to a higher, lower, or unchanged score, with the final result being definitive.
Wider Controversy and Political Scrutiny
The controversy has extended beyond just marks, raising questions about the technical reliability of CBSE's systems, the transparency of the OSM process, vendor management, and data security. A claim by a hacker regarding vulnerabilities in a CBSE-linked portal circulated online, though the board clarified that its core evaluation system remained unbreached. The issue has also drawn political attention, with opposition leaders like Rahul Gandhi questioning the integrity of the digital marking process and the procurement behind the OSM system.