The Centre has transferred Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Chairman Rahul Singh and Secretary Himanshu Gupta amid growing scrutiny over the board’s on-screen marking (OSM) system used in Class 12 examinations, news agency PTI reported on Tuesday.
The move comes after several students alleged discrepancies in the digital evaluation process, claiming that scanned copies of answer sheets made available by the board did not match their handwriting. The allegations triggered concerns among students and parents over possible answer-sheet mismatches and transparency in the evaluation process.
Officials said the chairman and secretary were transferred by the government as questions mounted over the implementation of the digital marking system and the handling of post-result verification requests.
The CBSE has also faced criticism over reported technical glitches, delays in verification and re-evaluation processes, and issues related to fee payments on its portal.
One-member panel set up to probe OSM procurement process
Amid the controversy, the government has constituted a one-member committee to examine issues related to the procurement of services for the On-Screen Marking System used by CBSE.
The committee will be headed by S. Radha Chauhan, Chairperson of the Capacity Building Commission. According to official orders, the committee has been authorised to seek assistance from officers of other departments if required, while secretarial support will be provided by the Capacity Building Commission.
The panel has been asked to submit its findings to the Department of Personnel and Training within one month.
The inquiry is expected to examine the tendering and procurement process linked to the digital evaluation system, which has come under increasing public scrutiny following complaints raised by students.
Student raises concerns before parliamentary panel
The issue was also discussed before the Parliamentary Committee for Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports during a meeting held at the Parliament House Annexe on Tuesday.
Sarthak Sidhant, a 17-year-old student from Jharkhand who appeared for the Class 12 examinations, made a presentation before the committee highlighting alleged irregularities in the tendering process for vendor selection under the online marking system.
According to PTI, Sarthak submitted a seven-page document outlining his findings and raised a series of questions regarding the selection of vendors associated with the evaluation platform.
The presentation took place in the presence of CBSE Chairman Rahul Singh, School Education Secretary Sanjay Kumar, and other officials from the Ministry of Education and the board.
During the meeting, CBSE submitted its own report to committee members and stated that technical issues reported on its portal had been addressed. The board also informed MPs that students have been given time until June 6 to apply for re-evaluation of answer sheets.
The parliamentary panel had summoned senior officials from CBSE and the Ministry of Education amid concerns regarding evaluation-related complaints, portal glitches and challenges faced by students during the post-result verification process.
Apart from the OSM issue, the committee also discussed the implementation of the three-language formula in Classes 9 and 10 with education ministry officials.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, committee chairman Digvijaya Singh referred to Sarthak’s presentation and the discussions held with CBSE officials.
On whether he was satisfied with the CBSE’s replies, the panel chairman said, “That is for the committee to decide,” according to PTI.
He did not respond to the three-language formula issue either, saying, “I believe the matter is sub-judice.”
“The committee has always been looking at the issues of students and their problems. This is exactly what the committee has done,” Singh told reporters when asked about the meeting, according to PTI.
he committee also discussed the implementation of the three-language formula in Classes 9 and 10 with education ministry officials.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, committee chairman Digvijaya Singh referred to Sarthak’s presentation and the discussions held with CBSE officials.
On whether he was satisfied with the CBSE’s replies, the panel chairman said, “That is for the committee to decide,” according to PTI.
He did not respond to the three-language formula issue either, saying, “I believe the matter is sub-judice.”
“The committee has always been looking at the issues of students and their problems. This is exactly what the committee has done,” Singh told reporters when asked about the meeting, according to PTI.