Supreme Court expresses concerns over CBSE digital assessment system, seeks Centre’s response on Class 12 screen grading
this Supreme Court Expressing serious concern over alleged irregularities in the Central Board of Secondary Education on Wednesday (CBSE) On-Screen Scoring (OSM) system for evaluating Class 12 answer papers. The court observed that the digital assessment process appeared to have caused significant difficulties to the students and asked the Center to provide a detailed reply on the steps taken to resolve the issue. A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said during the public interest litigation (PIL) hearing that there appeared to be growing concerns over the implementation of the digital assessment system. The bench also comprised Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana.
Supreme Court notes students’ frustrations
During the hearing, Chief Justice Surya Kant said students were facing considerable frustration due to issues related to the digital grading process. “Look at the frustration of young children,” the chief justice said of the concerns raised in the petition. The judge further said that there appeared to be “potential problems” with the screen evaluation mechanism that required closer examination. Justice Joymalya Bagchi also clarified that the court was not approaching the issue in an adversarial manner but sought help from the Center to understand the larger issue.
Center requires submission status report
The bench asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to assist the court and directed the Center to submit a status report explaining the steps taken to address the alleged deficiencies in the OSM system. The matter has been scheduled for a further hearing next week.
PIL seeks major reforms in CBSE’s OSM system
The PIL was filed by Rakesh Binjola through lawyer Laxmikant Matadan Shukla. It seeks formation of a high-powered committee to monitor and reform CBSE’s screen marking system. The petition also urges the Center and CBSE to formulate comprehensive regulations to govern the conduct of board examinations assessed through digital marking process.
What is the On Screen Markup (OSM) system?
CBSE’s On-Screen Marking (OSM) system is a digital assessment process where teachers assess scanned copies of students’ handwritten answer sheets on computers instead of manually assessing the original physical answer sheets. The system was introduced to increase efficiency, reduce delays and standardize the assessment process. However, the PIL claimed that certain differences in the digital assessment mechanism could adversely affect the final marks of students.
Seek relief for affected students
In addition to seeking reforms, the petition also asks for interim relief for students who may have suffered losses due to alleged flaws in the evaluation process. The main requirements include:
- Relaxation of minimum qualifying marks for affected Grade 12 students.
- Protection is provided to candidates who have been granted provisional admission or qualifying entrance exams but may be disqualified due to disputes over board scores.
- Exemption from the minimum percentage requirements for Class 12, including the 75% eligibility criterion prescribed by certain higher education institutions and admission processes.
The appeal argued that students should not suffer academic setbacks if differences in the assessment system were ultimately determined.
The center said a committee is already looking into the issue
Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, told the Supreme Court that many of the individual scoresheet-related grievances highlighted in the petition have been resolved. However, he assured the judges that the government was taking the wider concerns about the OSM system seriously. Mehta informed the court that a one-man committee headed by S. Radha Chauhan has been constituted to examine the functioning of the screen rating system and recommend necessary reforms. He further said that the committee is reviewing the grievances raised in the petition and will recommend systemic improvements to strengthen the evaluation process.
The matter will be heard next week
After hearing the submissions, the Supreme Court directed the Solicitor General to place on record the steps taken by CBSE and the Union government to resolve issues related to the digital assessment system. The matter will be heard next week, when the court is expected to examine the government’s response and the progress made in examining alleged flaws in CBSE’s screen scoring process.
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