Supreme Court Seeks Centre, CBSE Response on Permanent Fix for OSM Glitches
The Supreme Court has sought the Centre and CBSE's response on a permanent mechanism to address On-Screen Marking glitches and student grievances affecting Class 12 evaluation.The Supreme Court has sought responses from the Centre and the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on establishing a permanent mechanism to address glitches and grievances arising from the board’s On-Screen Marking (OSM) system.
A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana, asked the Centre to place its response on record by Monday. The matter is scheduled for further hearing on Tuesday.
Supreme Court Seeks Long-Term Solution
The court’s intervention follows petitions raising concerns over technical problems in CBSE’s digital evaluation process. The petitioners have sought clear rules and safeguards governing OSM-based evaluation, along with an effective mechanism for students affected by evaluation-related problems.
The Supreme Court had earlier expressed concern over what it described as persistent or systemic problems in the OSM process and sought the assistance of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta. The Centre informed the court that a one-member committee headed by S. Radha Chauhan had been constituted to examine the issues and recommend reforms.
Around 1.68 Lakh Students Sought Revaluation
During the latest hearing, the Centre informed the court that CBSE had provided students with a one-week grievance/revaluation window. Around 1.68 lakh students approached CBSE through the mechanism seeking re-evaluation of their answer sheets.
The government has prepared a note on the complaints and sought time to place the details before the Supreme Court through an affidavit after consultation with the concerned authorities.
What Is the OSM System?
Under the On-Screen Marking system, physical answer sheets are scanned and made available digitally to examiners. Teachers then evaluate the scanned copies on computer screens instead of manually checking the original physical answer books.
CBSE introduced the system as part of its move towards technology-enabled examination and evaluation processes. However, concerns have been raised over issues such as scanning defects, missing pages, technical glitches and difficulties faced by evaluators and students.
Why the Matter Is Important for Students
Evaluation errors in Class 12 can have consequences beyond board results. Students often use their Class 12 marks for college admissions, entrance eligibility and other academic opportunities.
The Supreme Court is therefore examining the issue not merely as an individual grievance but from the perspective of creating a reliable and transparent system for dealing with OSM-related problems in future examinations.
The petition has also sought safeguards for students who may have been affected by evaluation problems during the admission season, including appropriate relief where board results have an impact on higher-education opportunities.
Permanent Grievance-Redressal Mechanism in Focus
The latest proceedings indicate that the Supreme Court wants the authorities to move beyond resolving individual complaints and establish a long-term institutional mechanism.
Such a mechanism could provide students and examiners with a defined process for reporting technical errors, verifying disputed evaluations and obtaining timely relief when problems occur.
The court’s next hearing is expected to provide greater clarity on the response of the Centre and CBSE and on whether further directions will be issued for strengthening the OSM system.