The debate over the Central Board of Secondary Education's On-Screen Marking system has intensified after a detailed blog by a Class 12 student went viral on social media. The blog, authored by Sarthak Sidhant, examines tender documents related to the OSM contract awarded for evaluating Class 12 answer sheets. In the post, the student alleges that changes made to tender conditions over multiple rounds may have benefited Hyderabad-based Coempt Eduteck, which ultimately secured the contract.
Analysis of Tender Documents
Sidhant's blog compares different versions of the tender documents and argues that several eligibility and evaluation criteria were modified before the final award. He began studying the documents after students raised concerns over the OSM system's implementation. The post, running into several thousand words, cites procurement records, tender clauses, and financial disclosures to support his analysis. The student has called for greater transparency and asked CBSE to clarify the reasons behind the changes.
Political Reactions
Several opposition leaders shared the blog on social media. Among them, Rahul Gandhi claimed the student's findings raised serious questions about the tender process and called for an independent judicial inquiry. In a social media post, Rahul wrote, "17-year-old Sarthak Sidhant has exposed how CBSE manipulated its own selection process to benefit COEMPT, using CBSE's own documents. The details in his blog reveal how CBSE changed the RFP to unduly benefit COEMPT, at the cost of TCS. He has revealed the hollowness of Dharmendra Pradhan ji's denials. The PM remains silent, as usual. The question is simple: who are they protecting, and why?"
Background of OSM System
The controversy comes amid ongoing discussions around CBSE's digital evaluation system, introduced for assessing Class 12 answer sheets. The board has previously defended the system and rejected allegations that it compromised accuracy or fairness of evaluation.
