CBSE OSM system row: Congress targets Pradhan over Class 12 marking chaos
Synopsis
Congress has directly called for Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation over CBSE's troubled OSM rollout, alleging the Class 12 pass rate dropped three points to 85% amid blurred answer sheets, erroneous marking, and a week-long official silence — with IIT Kanpur now drafted in to fix what critics say should never have broken.
Key Takeaways
Congress MP Jairam Ramesh on 25 May demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the CBSE OSM controversy.
The Class 12 pass percentage reportedly declined by three percentage points , from 88% to 85% , this year.
Alleged irregularities include blurred answer sheets, erroneous marking, wrong sheets assigned to students, payment delays to examiners, and high revaluation fees.
IIT Kanpur has been brought in to address technical issues in the OSM system , according to Ramesh.
Ramesh criticised the Education Ministry for taking more than a week to respond publicly after the controversy surfaced.
Congress leader and MP Jairam Ramesh on Monday, 25 May launched a sharp attack on the Centre and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged irregularities in the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)'s newly-introduced On Screen Marking (OSM) system for Class 12 Board examinations. Ramesh claimed the flawed rollout has created deep uncertainty for lakhs of students across the country.
What the Congress Alleged
In a post on X, Jairam Ramesh, who serves as Congress General Secretary in charge of Communications, alleged that the OSM system had 'thrown into chaos the academic futures of lakhs of children across the country.' He pointed to a reported three percentage point decline in the Class 12 pass rate — from 88 per cent to 85 per cent — as evidence of systemic failure.
Ramesh alleged the evaluation process was marred by multiple irregularities, including blurred and illegible scanned answer sheets, erroneous marking, incorrect answer sheets being assigned to students, delays in examiner payments, and what he described as 'outrageous' revaluation fees.
What the OSM System Is
The OSM system is a digital evaluation method in which physical exam answer sheets are scanned, digitally masked to conceal student identities, and then assessed by teachers on a computer screen. CBSE introduced the system for Grade 12 Board examinations this cycle as part of a broader push toward technology-driven assessment.
Congress Targets Dharmendra Pradhan
Ramesh accused Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan of responding only after concerns had escalated, and of failing to anticipate implementation challenges before the system went live. 'Now the Education Minister, who is presiding over total institutional collapse, has finally woken up to this tragedy, more than a week after it first came to light. He's portraying himself as some saviour by bringing in IIT Kanpur to help address these technical issues,' Ramesh said.
He questioned why the CBSE and the Education Ministry had not planned adequately before adopting the digital marking system, and why it took more than a week for an official response to emerge. Notably, the involvement of IIT Kanpur to resolve technical glitches came only after the controversy became public.
Calls for Ministerial Accountability
Sharpening his demand for accountability, Ramesh said: 'The Mantri Pradhan owes the country his resignation and the Pradhan Mantri owes us answers on why this Minister, who is openly disrupting the future of India's students with his ineptitude, has been allowed to continue for so long.' The statement amounts to a direct call for Pradhan's removal from the Cabinet.
This comes amid broader scrutiny of examination administration in India, where high-stakes Board results carry life-altering consequences for students seeking college admissions. With lakhs of Class 12 results potentially affected, the political pressure on the Centre is likely to intensify in the days ahead.
Point of View
A public contingency plan, or a rapid-response protocol. The three-point drop in pass percentage may have multiple causes, but the optics of a week-long official silence — followed by the reactive deployment of IIT Kanpur — reinforce the Congress narrative of institutional unpreparedness. For millions of Class 12 students whose college admissions hinge on these results, the political back-and-forth is cold comfort. The real accountability question is whether CBSE's internal quality controls failed, and whether those controls will be independently reviewed before the next examination cycle.
NationPress
12 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the CBSE OSM system and why is it controversial?
The CBSE On Screen Marking (OSM) system is a digital evaluation method where physical answer sheets are scanned, masked for anonymity, and assessed by teachers on computer screens. It became controversial after Congress alleged the rollout caused blurred answer sheets, erroneous marking, and a reported three-point drop in the Class 12 pass rate.
What specific irregularities has Congress alleged in the CBSE OSM system?
Congress MP Jairam Ramesh alleged blurred and illegible scanned answer sheets, erroneous marking, incorrect answer sheets assigned to students, delays in payments to examiners, and excessively high revaluation fees. He made these allegations in a post on X on 25 May.
Why is Congress calling for Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation?
Congress has called for Pradhan's resignation over what it describes as institutional collapse in the Education Ministry, citing the delayed official response to the OSM crisis — more than a week after it surfaced — and the minister's failure to anticipate implementation challenges before the system went live.
What has the government done to address the CBSE OSM problems?
According to Jairam Ramesh, the Education Ministry brought in IIT Kanpur to help resolve the technical issues with the OSM system. Ramesh, however, criticised this as a reactive measure taken only after the controversy escalated publicly.
How many students are affected by the CBSE Class 12 OSM irregularities?
The exact number has not been officially confirmed, but Congress has claimed the irregularities have created uncertainty for 'lakhs of students' across the country who appeared in the Class 12 Board examinations this cycle.
