Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Sunday, 31 May met Class 12 student Vedant and shared a video of the interaction on social media, escalating his attack on the Union Education Ministry and the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) over widespread discrepancies in answer-sheet evaluation. The move came days after Vedant's account of receiving a wrong Physics answer sheet went viral, triggering a national debate on the board's new digital marking system.

Gandhi's Remarks and the 'Anti-National' Jibe

'A revealing chat with my fellow ‘anti-national Soros agents.’ Vedant and his friends are brilliant, brave young Indians who asked CBSE and the Modi government simple questions — but got insults instead of answers. They deserve a bright and secure future. We will make sure they get it,' Gandhi said in his post, mocking the label some social media users had applied to students raising concerns about the CBSE system.

Gandhi also personally reviewed Vedant's Physics answer sheet during the interaction. The meeting underscored the political dimension the CBSE evaluation row has acquired, with the Opposition framing student grievances as a governance failure by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Centre.

How Vedant's Case Unfolded

Vedant had applied for a photocopy of his Physics answer sheet on 19 May after receiving marks he considered unexpectedly low. Four days later, on 23 May, he posted on X that the sheet emailed to him by CBSE did not match his handwriting and evidently belonged to another student.

'I am a CBSE Class 12 student. After receiving unexpectedly low marks in Physics, we applied for photocopies of my answer sheets through the CBSE re-evaluation process. Today we received the copies. And I am shattered because the Physics answer sheet uploaded by CBSE is not mine,' he wrote in the post.

The post amassed over 3.5 million views and 48,000 likes, igniting outrage among students and parents across the country. The CBSE responded swiftly, calling the matter a 'top priority' and assigning a dedicated team to investigate. By 25 May, the board had emailed Vedant his correct answer sheet and confirmed his result would be revised following re-evaluation.

Systemic Glitches in CBSE's New Digital Marking System

Vedant's case is not isolated. This year, the CBSE introduced On-Screen Marking — a system under which answer scripts are scanned and evaluated digitally rather than manually. Since its rollout, multiple students have reported receiving marks significantly lower than their performance in competitive examinations such as the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) would suggest.

Technical problems have compounded the distress. Glitches on the CBSE portal included fluctuating fees for answer-sheet photocopies and failures in the online payment gateway. The board has acknowledged these issues and, according to officials, brought in experts from IIT Madras and IIT Kanpur to assist with corrections. Payment gateway problems have reportedly been resolved with support from public-sector banks, including the State Bank of India (SBI).

What Students Can Do Next

The CBSE announced on Friday that its Post-Result Activities portal would become operational on 1 June. Once live, Class 12 students will be able to apply for verification and re-evaluation of their answer books. Verification — which covers a retotalling of marks — will be available at a fee of ₹100, while rechecking will cost ₹25 per question.

With the portal reopening and political pressure mounting, the CBSE is under scrutiny to ensure the On-Screen Marking rollout does not disadvantage students whose academic futures hinge on board results.