CBSE Chairman, Secretary transferred; Centre orders probe into OSM service procurement
New Delhi, June 2
The Centre on Tuesday transferred Central Board of Secondary Education Chairman Rahul Singh and Secretary Himanshu Gupta, and constituted a one-member inquiry committee to examine issues related to the procurement of services for the board's On-Screen Marking system.
According to an official order, the inquiry committee will be headed by S Radha Chauhan, Chairperson of the Capacity Building Commission.
The committee has been tasked with inquiring into matters relating to the procurement of services for the On-Screen Marking System by CBSE. The Chairperson has been empowered to seek assistance from officers of other offices, as required for the inquiry.
Secretarial assistance to the committee will be provided by the Capacity Building Commission.
The committee has been directed to submit its report to the Department of Personnel and Training within one month.
Cybersecurity agencies of the Government of India, including the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), are closely monitoring cyberattacks targeting the CBSE On-Screen Marking (OSM) re-evaluation portal, and strict penal action will be taken against those responsible, Education Ministry sources told ANI.
This comes at a time when the CBSE continues to face mounting pressure following reports of technical failures in its post-result portal and OSM discrepancies in evaluated answer sheets.
CBSE launched a portal to address cybersecurity concerns surrounding the OnMark portal operated by its service provider. On Sunday, the board said it had deployed a team of cybersecurity experts from various government agencies and the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) to strengthen the platform's security infrastructure.
The portal will remain till midnight on June 6, 2026. CBSE has fixed the fee structure at Rs 100 per answer book for verification of issues in scanned copies and Rs 25 per question for re-evaluation of answers. The payment of fees will be accepted only through online modes, including UPI, credit card, debit card, or net banking, ensuring a fully digital and streamlined process.
Earlier in the day, Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports Chairman Digvijaya Singh said the panel would consider concerns raised by students regarding the Central Board of Secondary Education's (CBSE) On-Screen Marking (OSM) system after hearing a presentation by class 12 student Sarthak Sidhant.
The committee is currently examining the implementation of the OSM system in CBSE Class 12 examinations, along with the concerns related to evaluation practices and transparency in the assessment.
Speaking to reporters after the committee meeting, Singh confirmed that Sidhant made a presentation before the panel and that the committee would deliberate on the issues raised, as well as the responses submitted by the CBSE.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Finally some accountability! The CBSE evaluation system has been a mess - students paying Rs 100 per answer book just to check if their scanned copy is correct? That's ridiculous. And Rs 25 per question for re-evaluation? It's like they're milking money from stressed students.
👏 Hats off to that Class 12 student Sarthak Sidhant who presented before the parliamentary committee! It takes courage to speak up against a system like CBSE. The youth are not afraid to question authority anymore. But the real question is: will the committee actually implement changes or just file another report?
The timing is suspicious - just after results, they transfer the Chairman and Secretary. Either they're scapegoating or there's genuine corruption. The cybersecurity concerns are real too. With I4C and IITs involved, at least they're taking it seriously now. But our education board shouldn't need such drama every year.
As a parent who went through this OSM madness last year, I can tell you it's a nightmare. Scanned copies don't match, marks go missing, and then you have to run from pillar to post. Rs 100 per book is not cheap for a family. The digital payment option is good but the whole system needs an overhaul.
Interesting that the inquiry committee is from the Capacity Building Commission. But one month to investigate procurement issues? That's too short for a thorough probe. And why is the report going to DoPT and not being made public? Transparency should start from the top.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.