The National Students' Union of India (NSUI) has approached the Delhi High Court with a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the Central Board of Secondary Education's (CBSE) newly introduced On-Screen Marking (OSM) system for Class XII board examinations. The student body has demanded the reopening of the verification process, manual evaluation of answer sheets in disputed cases, and an independent inquiry into the functioning of the digital assessment system.
Key Concerns Raised by NSUI
In its petition, NSUI has alleged that thousands of students across the country faced significant difficulties following the declaration of Class XII results. According to the plea, students reported a range of issues, including blurred scanned answer sheets, missing pages, incomplete uploads, mismatch of answer booklets, unexpectedly low marks, and difficulties in accessing the verification portal. The student body argued that Class XII board results play a crucial role in college admissions, scholarships, and future educational opportunities, and contended that any error in the evaluation process can have serious consequences for students and their academic futures.
Technical Glitches Acknowledged by CBSE
The plea refers to several public communications issued by CBSE after the results were declared. It notes that the Board acknowledged technical glitches in the portal for accessing scanned copies of answer sheets and subsequently extended deadlines multiple times. The petition also highlights that over 1.27 lakh applications, covering nearly 3.87 lakh answer books, were submitted by students seeking scanned copies of their evaluated scripts. According to NSUI, the large number of applications reflects widespread concern among students regarding the evaluation process under the newly introduced digital marking system.
Allegations of Disparate Treatment
The petition further states that students raised complaints regarding blurred or missing scanned pages, unmarked answers, and other evaluation-related issues. The PIL alleges that students whose answer sheets were correctly scanned and evaluated are being treated differently from those whose answer books may have been affected by technical problems. It argues that students should not suffer because of deficiencies in a system introduced by the authorities themselves. The petition also claims that the existing grievance redressal mechanism is inadequate, as students have limited digital remedies and no effective option for manual verification where the scanned answer sheet itself is disputed.
Relief Sought from the High Court
Seeking the intervention of the High Court, NSUI has requested directions to keep the verification and re-evaluation portal open for one more month for affected students. It has also sought manual rechecking and physical verification of answer sheets in cases where students have raised concerns over the correctness of scanned copies or the evaluation process. Additionally, the petition seeks an independent inquiry into the alleged irregularities, technical glitches, and shortcomings in the OSM system. It has also requested the Court to direct CBSE to frame proper safeguards and guidelines for future digital evaluation systems. The student body has also sought a direction for the grant of compensatory higher marks in cases where answer sheets are found to be missing, blurred, or incorrectly evaluated without any fault of the student.
The petition has been filed through advocates Rishav Ranjan, Ajay Chhikara, Omar Hoda, Eesha Bakshi, and Shubham Mishra.
