Amid mounting scrutiny over the CBSE’s On-Screen Marking (OSM) system, the Union Government on June 1 transferred the board’s two senior-most officials—Chairman Rahul Singh and Secretary Himanshu Gupta—and appointed Lokhande Prashant Sitaram as the new CBSE chairman. Varun Bhardwaj, who was serving as Director in the Department of Higher Education, has been appointed as the new Secretary of the CBSE.
Simultaneously, the Ministry of Education ordered an inquiry into the procurement and implementation of the OSM system, appointing S. Radha Chauhan to examine allegations relating to the award and execution of contracts associated with the digital evaluation platform. The ministry has also initiated an internal review to determine whether disciplinary or other action should be taken against officials found responsible for procedural lapses.
The pressure on both the government and CBSE has been steadily building since the controversy first surfaced. What began as complaints over unexpectedly low Class 12 scores has evolved into a wider debate over the integrity of the digital evaluation process, with a growing number of students alleging that flaws in the OSM system may have adversely affected their results. Calls for a fresh evaluation of answer scripts have intensified as more students report discrepancies in marks, answer-sheet scans and re-evaluation outcomes.
Despite the government’s intervention, the controversy shows little sign of subsiding. The administrative action has failed to quell criticism from opposition parties, which argue that transferring officials does not address the larger question of accountability. The Congress has dismissed the transfers as an “eyewash”, contending that shifting bureaucrats without fixing political responsibility amounts to little more than damage control. Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge have demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, arguing that accountability extends beyond the officials directly involved. The Aam Aadmi Party has similarly questioned whether the transfers constitute punishment or merely a bureaucratic reshuffle.
The issue has also come under parliamentary scrutiny. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports, chaired by Digvijaya Singh, recently heard a presentation from student whistleblower Sarthak Sidhant, who raised concerns about alleged irregularities in the OSM tendering process and its implementation. According to reports, the committee has taken cognisance of the controversy and is examining allegations relating to both the procurement process and the functioning of the OSM system. Its findings are expected to be made public in the coming weeks.
With a government inquiry underway, parliamentary scrutiny intensifying and student dissatisfaction continuing to grow, the OSM controversy has evolved into one of the most significant challenges faced by CBSE in recent years, with questions of transparency, accountability and examination governance now at the centre of the debate.
Meanwhile protests by politically affiliated student groups continue and there is a call for a protest on June 6 as well.
