The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is facing an internal crackdown from the education ministry over alleged irregularities in a controversial tender process for the board's digital evaluation ecosystem, which was found to have vulnerabilities. According to ministry sources, the explanations provided by CBSE on the tender issue have not been satisfactory, and accountability is likely to be fixed at multiple levels within the education board.
Ministry Seeks Detailed Reports
A senior official stated that detailed reports have been sought on awarding the contract to Hyderabad-based Coempt Edu Tech as part of the procurement process linked to the board's 'On Screen Marking (OSM)' system, as well as on the security gaps flagged in the re-evaluation portal. The ministry is taking action against those accountable, and responsibility will be determined. Sources indicated that the ministry believes the controversy goes beyond isolated technical failures and may point to lapses within the system.
Allegations of Modified Eligibility Norms
The OSM tender controversy escalated after allegations surfaced that eligibility norms and technical criteria were modified across multiple rounds of bidding before Coempt emerged as the successful bidder. The issue further snowballed after students began reporting blurred answer sheets, missing pages, mismatched scanned copies, and repeated glitches during the re-evaluation process. Opposition leaders and analysts have questioned whether procurement conditions were diluted to favour a particular company. CBSE has denied allegations of wrongdoing and maintained that the contract was awarded strictly under General Financial Rules and established procurement norms.
Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities Flagged
The controversy has deepened, with ethical hackers and cybersecurity researchers flagging vulnerabilities in systems linked to CBSE's digital evaluation infrastructure. Ministry officials said the weaknesses became more serious because CBSE still lacks a comprehensive digital repository architecture for answer sheets and examination records. In response, the ministry has engaged experts from IITs to plug technological loopholes, audit the re-evaluation portal architecture, and strengthen cybersecurity safeguards.
The education ministry's crackdown signals a broader effort to ensure accountability and transparency in the board's operations, particularly in the digital evaluation system that affects millions of students. The outcome of the investigations could lead to significant changes in CBSE's procurement processes and digital infrastructure.
