What began as a Class 12 student questioning a mismatched Physics answer sheet has now escalated into one of the biggest education controversies of the year. The Central Board of Secondary Education's (CBSE) newly introduced On-Screen Marking (OSM) system, launched for Class 12 board evaluations in 2026, is facing intense scrutiny after students across India reported a range of technical issues. These include blurred scans, missing supplementary sheets, portal crashes, payment glitches, and alleged answer-sheet mismatches.
Student's Viral Post Exposes Flaws
The controversy intensified after Delhi student Vedant Shrivastava claimed that the Physics answer sheet uploaded under his roll number was not his own. As his post went viral, he faced online trolling and was even labeled a 'Pakistani' for raising concerns about the system. However, CBSE later admitted that there had indeed been a mix-up and sent him the correct answer sheet, confirming his allegations.
Technical Glitches Widespread
The controversy has also exposed broader technical problems within the CBSE re-evaluation process. Students and parents reported repeated portal failures, payment deductions without confirmation, and bizarre glitches. In one instance, the portal allegedly displayed a revaluation fee of Rs 69,420 instead of the correct Re 1. With over 98 lakh answer books scanned digitally under the OSM system, questions are now being raised over scan quality, evaluator training, answer-sheet mapping, and the overall reliability of India's largest school examination board.
Political and Academic Scrutiny
As political attacks intensify, teams from IIT Madras and IIT Kanpur have been brought in to examine the glitches. The bigger question remains: Can India's high-stakes examination system transition towards digitization without compromising fairness, transparency, and student trust?
