OSM row: Centre transfers CBSE top officials; inquiry panel set up
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New Delhi: In a major action, the Central government on Tuesday transferred the CBSE Chairman and Secretary and constituted an inquiry committee to probe alleged irregularities in the On-Screen Marking (OSM) system.
The move comes amid growing anger and protests from students and parents over reported gaps and irregularities in the newly introduced evaluation process.
The inquiry panel has been tasked with examining the procurement of On-Screen Marking (OSM) services by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), amid allegations that guidelines may have been relaxed to favour a particular vendor.
Rahul Singh is the current CBSE Chairman, while Himanshu Gupta serves as the CBSE Secretary as well as Chief Administrative Officer. Following the government’s action over alleged malpractice concerns, both senior officials have been removed from their positions.
The development comes amid escalating controversy over CBSE’s newly implemented On-Screen Marking (OSM) system for Class 12 board examinations. Under the system, evaluators assess scanned copies of answer sheets instead of physical answer books.
A one-member committee has been appointed to investigate the procurement process of the OSM services and submit its findings to the government.
Meanwhile, the CBSE has also opened a re-evaluation portal for students from Tuesday, in response to the growing backlash.
According to an official notice, the portal became operational on June 2 and will remain open until midnight on June 6. During this period, eligible students can apply for verification of discrepancies in their scanned answer sheets and request re-evaluation of specific answers if dissatisfied with the assessment.
CBSE clarified that only students who have already accessed scanned copies of their evaluated answer sheets are eligible to apply for these services.
With IANS inputs