The controversy surrounding the Central Board of Secondary Education’s (CBSE) On-Screen Marking (OSM) system has intensified after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged that Class 12 answer sheets were scanned using mobile phones instead of high-quality automated scanners. The allegations have triggered a major political debate over transparency, evaluation accuracy and the tender process behind CBSE’s new digital assessment system.
Rahul Gandhi accused the Centre and CBSE of compromising the integrity of the evaluation process by allegedly altering technical requirements in the tender issued for scanning and digitising answer sheets. According to Gandhi, the original tender released in May 2025 mandated the use of automatic robotic scanners with a minimum 300 DPI resolution and preservation of answer sheet spines. However, he claimed that a revised tender later diluted these requirements by reducing the resolution standards and replacing specific scanner requirements with generic terminology.
The Congress leader alleged that the revised conditions ultimately allowed answer sheets to be scanned using mobile phones, leading to blurred copies, missing pages and incomplete uploads during the evaluation process. Gandhi described the issue as “fraud” and claimed that lakhs of students may have been affected due to alleged irregularities in the digital assessment system.
The allegations gained momentum after several students and evaluators raised concerns regarding discrepancies in scanned answer sheets. Reports surfaced about blurry images, mismatched answer books, missing supplementary pages and technical glitches in the post-result portal. Some students also claimed they received incorrect answer sheets while accessing evaluated copies online.
A major role in escalating the controversy was played by students and independent researchers who publicly questioned the tender process and scanning methods used under the OSM system. A Jharkhand-based student blogger, Sarthak Sidhant, drew attention online after publishing an analysis of changes made to the CBSE tender process and raising questions about whether mobile devices had been used for scanning answer sheets. His observations were later amplified by Rahul Gandhi on social media.
CBSE, however, has strongly denied all allegations related to irregularities in the evaluation system. The Board stated that the OSM process was implemented under strict supervision and according to established procedures. CBSE clarified that every stage of scanning, quality checks, digital evaluation and final assessment was conducted under monitoring to ensure fairness and transparency.
Defending the tender process, CBSE also rejected Rahul Gandhi’s accusations as “erroneous and misleading.” The Board said the contract for digital evaluation was awarded through proper procurement norms and General Financial Rules protocols. CBSE confirmed that the contract had been awarded to Hyderabad-based Coempt Edu Teck after the bidding process was completed through the government procurement portal.
The controversy has also expanded into concerns regarding cybersecurity and student data privacy. Reports recently suggested that vulnerabilities were detected in a CBSE portal used to share scanned answer sheets with students. CBSE later acknowledged technical issues and stated that cybersecurity experts and government agencies were working to strengthen the system and address loopholes.
Political reactions to the issue have continued to grow. Rahul Gandhi accused the government of remaining silent despite concerns affecting nearly 18.5 lakh students who appeared for the Class 12 board examinations. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also criticized the Centre, alleging that students raising concerns were being unfairly labelled instead of receiving proper responses from authorities.
The OSM system was introduced by CBSE this year as part of a major digital transformation in the board examination evaluation process. Under the system, physical answer sheets are scanned and assessed online by evaluators rather than being checked manually. CBSE had earlier stated that the system was designed to improve standardisation, reduce errors and speed up evaluation timelines.
As the debate over the OSM tender and evaluation process continues, demands for greater transparency, independent audits and stronger safeguards in digital assessment systems are growing louder. The controversy has now become one of the biggest education-related political issues in the country, with students, parents and educators closely watching how CBSE and the government respond in the coming days.
