The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court has sought responses from the Central government, CBSE and the Uttar Pradesh government over alleged irregularities in CBSE’s On-Screen Marking system for Class 12 board examinations. The court has directed the parties to file their replies within four weeks in a public interest litigation questioning the digital evaluation process.
The PIL alleges that the On-Screen Marking system was implemented in haste and may have affected the results of lakhs of students. The petitioner has claimed that technical and administrative shortcomings in the evaluation process resulted in several students receiving marks lower than expected.
FCRF’s Flagship Cyber Law Certification Returns With a New Four-Week Cohort
PIL Alleges Flaws in Digital Evaluation
During the hearing, the division bench observed that any institutional flaw in the evaluation process could directly affect students’ academic future and therefore required serious examination.
Notices have been issued to the Central government, CBSE, the Controller of Examinations and the state government. The petitioner has been granted two additional weeks to file a rejoinder after the respondents submit their replies.
The next hearing in the matter has been scheduled after six weeks. The petition has sought the constitution of an independent expert committee to examine the implementation of the OSM system and investigate alleged errors in the evaluation process.
Expert Panel and Free Re-Evaluation Sought
The plea has asked that the proposed committee examine whether errors occurred during scanning, uploading or assessment of answer sheets. It has also sought free re-evaluation of answer scripts for students who believe they were adversely affected.
Over the past few days, students and parents have raised concerns about the OSM system on social media and through student groups. Several students have alleged that scanned answer sheets contained missing pages, blurred responses or answers that were left unevaluated.
These complaints have led to questions over the transparency and reliability of the digital evaluation process. Education experts have said that any technical error in such a system could have serious consequences for students’ academic prospects.
CBSE Maintains System Is Secure
CBSE has denied the allegations and maintained that the OSM platform is secure and technologically robust. The board has said the digital system was introduced to make evaluation more transparent and efficient, and that helplines have been launched to address student grievances.
The Ministry of Education has also indicated that it is monitoring the matter. The Union Education Minister has assured students that genuine complaints will not be ignored and that the re-evaluation process will be strengthened if required.
Legal experts believe the case could have wider implications for digital evaluation systems being adopted by education boards. For now, students and parents are awaiting the next hearing, which may help determine the standards of transparency and accountability required in technology-based assessment systems.
