New Delhi | The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has attributed recent payment-related glitches in its Class 12 answer sheet access system to a suspected cyber intrusion, according to senior officials. The issue reportedly affected around 50 students, leading to confusion as unusual payment figures appeared during the online process of accessing evaluated answer scripts.
Officials said the disruption occurred within the digital payment gateway integrated into the On Screen Marking (OSM) system, which is used for evaluation and distribution of answer sheets. According to the board, a suspected malicious cyber attempt impacted the payment infrastructure, causing incorrect transaction values to appear for some users.
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Sources indicated that in certain cases, students were shown extremely high payment demands of up to ₹67,000, while in others, nominal figures such as ₹1 appeared on screen. The board clarified that these were not actual charges but system-level distortions triggered by the technical disruption.
According to official data, out of more than 11 lakh answer sheet access requests, only around 50 cases were affected by such irregularities. Additionally, nearly 20 complaints were reported regarding mismatched or incorrectly assigned scanned answer sheets. Authorities emphasized that these numbers were minimal given the large-scale rollout of the digital evaluation system.
Following the incident, payment services were temporarily disrupted due to issues in integration with HDFC Bank’s gateway. After internal review, the bank was removed from the process. Officials later confirmed that the system was stabilized and shifted to alternative public sector bank payment gateways.
The revised system now includes gateways from Bank of Baroda, Canara Bank, State Bank of India, and Indian Bank, which reportedly underwent successful testing and are functioning normally.
CBSE officials defended the On Screen Marking system, stating that the digital evaluation process remains transparent and robust. They said the system improves efficiency, reduces manual errors, and enhances accessibility for students seeking access to their evaluated answer sheets.
The board also addressed complaints where some students reportedly received scanned copies of other candidates’ answer sheets. Officials said such incidents were extremely limited and corrective measures were taken immediately upon detection.
Regarding procurement and vendor selection, officials explained that the evaluation and payment systems were awarded through multiple rounds of competitive bidding. In the first round, only one major bidder met technical criteria, leading to cancellation as per procurement rules. The second round failed to produce eligible bidders, while the third round resulted in selection based on the lowest financial quote.
Officials stated that the selected service provider, COEMPT, offered the lowest cost per answer sheet processing and was therefore chosen under applicable rules. They added that the company is currently engaged in similar digital evaluation projects in several Indian states, including Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, and Gujarat.
On earlier concerns linked to the company’s operations, officials said previous judicial reviews had not found wrongdoing and related petitions were dismissed. However, the board confirmed that penalties would be imposed for any procedural or operational shortcomings identified in the current evaluation cycle.
Education authorities said the incident occurred during the early large-scale implementation phase of the digital system and that cybersecurity and operational safeguards are being continuously strengthened.
The episode has reignited debate over the digitisation of examination and evaluation systems in India, particularly regarding data security, system resilience, and student grievance redressal mechanisms. Experts noted that while digital platforms improve scalability and transparency, they also introduce new cybersecurity risks requiring constant monitoring.
CBSE has stated that all payment-related issues have now been resolved and the system is functioning normally. It added that additional audits are underway to ensure no residual vulnerabilities remain.
Authorities assured students and parents that stronger safeguards are being implemented to prevent similar disruptions in future examination cycles while maintaining efficiency and transparency in the evaluation process.
