New Delhi: Following the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Online Screen Marking (OSM) row, the Centre has transferred both the CBSE Chairman and Secretary. According to the reports, the transfers were made after the government stepped in amid the outrage students were facing against the CBSE over the OSM portal.
Furthermore, the Centre also ordered an inquiry into the procurement of the OSM services, as the students weren’t satisfied with their scorecards after checking their Class 12 results.
Rahul Singh, CBSE chairman, is a 1996-batch IAS officer who took charge in March 2024, and now, with the OSM system controversy, the Ministry of Education has removed him after serving two years.
Centre Constitutes Inquiry Committee
In light of the ongoing row regarding CBSE’s OSM, the Centre has set up an inquiry committee to investigate the procurement process related to the OSM portal.
S. Radha Chauhan has been appointed as the chairman of the committee, who is also the chairperson of the Capacity Building Commission (CBC). As per a notice issued from the office on June 2, S. Radha Chauhan has been entrusted with examining the service procurement process for the OSM system, and she will give a report within a month to the DoPT (Department of Personnel and Training).
Controversy over the OSM system
The issue related to the OSM system started right after the announcement of CBSE Class 10th and 12th board examinations, with many students reporting problems accessing scanned answer sheets.
The candidates have pointed out the issues relating to the blurred scan and missing pages of answer sheets, among other technical issues. It was also claimed that re-evaluation requests were being delayed.
The matter gained momentum due to issues like choosing the vendor, contracting the digital evaluation, and cybersecurity threats.
Parents and teachers raise concerns
The issue has received flak from a few parents and teachers who have expressed their dissatisfaction at the haste with which this digital evaluation system was launched despite problems with its functioning.
According to them, this move would have been better delayed to avoid any problems for the students at such a critical juncture.
CBSE denies involvement in any improper conduct
CBSE has denied any misconduct, stating that the whole procurement exercise adhered to the provisions of the GFR and government guidelines.
Several deadlines have been extended, while clarification has been provided for students concerning the handling of answer sheets and evaluations.
