New Delhi, May 28
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday responded sharply to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over allegations of irregularities in the CBSE examination system, accusing him of opposing India’s technological progress and politicizing issues related to students and examinations.
The remarks came after Rahul Gandhi demanded an independent judicial inquiry and a Special Investigation Team probe into alleged discrepancies in the digital evaluation process of CBSE Class 12 examinations. Gandhi had also questioned the role of the company involved in the On Screen Marking system and alleged that it had a controversial background linked to earlier examination-related disputes in Telangana.
Addressing the issue, Pradhan said that CBSE had already clarified that the evaluation process was carried out in accordance with the Government of India’s procurement policy. He assured that strict action would be taken if any irregularities were found during the review process.
The Union minister said issues concerning students should not become part of political debate and stressed that the mental well-being of students and examinees should remain the top priority. He said that any statement or action that increases students’ stress should be avoided.
Pradhan said nearly 17 lakh students appeared in the CBSE examinations, and around 98 lakh answer booklets comprising nearly 40 crore scanned pages were evaluated through the On Screen Marking system for the first time on such a large scale.
Describing the system as transparent and student-friendly, he said the digital process allows students to access scanned copies of answer sheets and review their marks more effectively. However, he acknowledged that certain discrepancies had come to light and said the government had taken responsibility for addressing them through a re-evaluation process.
The minister also defended the use of digital evaluation methods, saying several institutions in India and abroad are adopting similar systems to improve transparency and efficiency in examinations.
Meanwhile, CBSE said its On Screen Marking platform is supported by secure digital infrastructure and multiple quality checks to ensure safe scanning and evaluation of answer sheets.
The controversy intensified after several Class 12 students alleged discrepancies in marks and claimed that the scanned copies of answer sheets uploaded did not match their handwriting, raising concerns about possible mismatches during the evaluation process.
Rahul Gandhi alleged that the company involved in the evaluation process had previously been linked to controversies in Telangana and demanded accountability from the government and the CBSE over the issue.
The Centre has maintained that all concerns raised by students will be addressed and corrective measures will be implemented to ensure transparency and fairness in the examination system.
