The 2026 CBSE On-Screen Marking (OSM) controversy became one of the biggest education scandals in recent Indian history because it raised concerns not just about technical failures, but about procurement, accountability, cybersecurity, and transparency. Millions of Class 12 students were affected due to this OSM checking, and there were many students who faced a lot of issues due to this checking.
What was the new OSM system?
For the first time, CBSE evaluated answer sheets on a nationwide scale using a digital On-Screen Marking (OSM) system. Physical answer sheets were scanned, uploaded, and examiners marked them digitally instead of using paper copies. The change was intended to make evaluation faster and more standardised. But
How the controversy unfolded
According to multiple reports, students, non-internal auditors, or regulators began discovering serious problems. Some students reported that their answer sheets appeared under another student's identity, mismatches between candidate details and scanned answer scripts, blurred or incomplete scans that made answers difficult to read, technical glitches and server failures during evaluation, and unexpected marks that led students to suspect evaluation errors.
The cybersecurity concerns
One of the most alarming allegations was that weaknesses in the system allowed unauthorised access to parts of the evaluation platform. Reports stated that students publicly demonstrated vulnerabilities, raising questions about whether scores or records could potentially be manipulated if the flaws were genuine. These allegations became a major reason for demands for an independent investigation. Authorities subsequently ordered an inquiry into the system and its procurement.
The company at the centre
Public attention focused on Coempt Edu Teck, the company that received the CBSE OSM contract. Critics pointed out that the company had previously operated under the name Globarena Technologies Pvt. Ltd. Reports linked Globarena to the 2019 Telangana Intermediate examination digitisation controversy, where widespread result errors led to intense public outrage. During that crisis, many students died by suicide after disputed results, though responsibility for those deaths remains a matter of public debate and multiple factors were involved. After the controversy, the company later adopted the name Coempt Edu Teck. Critics questioned why it was awarded a major national contract despite that history.
Procurement questions
Opposition parties and activists questioned how the tender was evaluated, whether the company's record received adequate scrutiny, whether sufficient pilot testing occurred before nationwide rollout and whether independent cybersecurity audits were conducted before implementation. These questions became part of the official inquiry ordered by the Ministry of Education.
Government response
After nationwide criticism, the CBSE Chairman and Secretary were transferred, a government inquiry into the procurement and implementation of the OSM system was announced, the Ministry said corrective measures would be taken and responsibility would be fixed if wrongdoing was established.
Political controversy
The issue quickly became political. Opposition leaders argued that transferring senior CBSE officials alone was insufficient and demanded greater accountability from the Ministry of Education. Meanwhile, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan stated publicly that he accepted responsibility for the problems and said corrective action would be taken while investigations continued.
Questions that remain
Even after the transfers, several issues continued to be debated.d How thoroughly was the software tested before national deployment? Were independent cybersecurity audits completed? Was the procurement process sufficiently rigorous? How many students' evaluations were actually affected? What safeguards will be introduced before future board examinations? These questions remain central to discussions about the controversy.
The scandal became significant because it highlighted how failures in a high-stakes examination system can affect students' academic futures and raised broader concerns about oversight, digital security, and public accountability. While investigations identified serious implementation issues and prompted administrative action, some allegations, particularly about the extent of unauthorised access or manipulation, remain subjects of ongoing scrutiny rather than conclusively proven facts.
References:
- NDTV.com
- Times of India
- India now
- Abp news
- Instagram and YouTube