Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday, 29 May 2025, assured that no one would be spared if deliberate negligence or wrongdoing was found in the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)'s On-Screen Marking (OSM) system, while also accepting responsibility for the shortcomings that have surfaced. The minister's remarks came amid a widening controversy over the digital evaluation process introduced by CBSE for its Board Exams 2026.

Scale of the OSM Exercise

Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, Pradhan underlined the sheer magnitude of the undertaking. Of the 17 lakh students who appeared for the examinations, CBSE maintained answer scripts amounting to roughly 98 lakh copies, with each sheet containing nearly 40 pages — translating to approximately 40 crore scanned pages evaluated digitally for the first time through OSM.

The minister described OSM as a progressive, student-centric initiative aligned with global practices. 'This system enables students to access their answer sheets and resolve any doubts regarding their marks. OSM has been introduced keeping students' interests in mind. However, some shortcomings have emerged, and I take responsibility for them. We will ensure that no student's queries go unanswered,' he said.

IIT Kanpur and IIT Madras Roped In

To address the technical and operational gaps, Pradhan confirmed that expert teams from IIT Kanpur and IIT Madras had been engaged to examine and resolve the issues. He also said he had requested the Finance Minister to streamline the payment process, resulting in the CBSE portal being integrated with the payment gateways of four public sector banks — State Bank of India (SBI), Indian Bank, Bank of Baroda, and Canara Bank.

'IIT professor groups are handling the matter. We are taking responsibility for whatever has happened. If any intentional wrongdoing is found, we will not spare those responsible. In a democracy, everyone is accountable, and we are not shying away from answering questions or accepting accountability,' Pradhan said.

Pradhan's Rebuttal to Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi had criticised the CBSE's decision to award the OSM contract to a private firm, Coempt Edutech, raising questions about due process. Pradhan rejected the criticism sharply, accusing Gandhi of opposing every reform initiative — from the SIR process to EVMs and Digital India.

'As far as Rahul Gandhi is concerned, he appears to be in a different mindset due to continuous electoral losses, which have led to frustration. He is not aligned with India's scientific and technological progress,' Pradhan said.

The minister also appealed to political parties to refrain from politicising student-related issues. 'Students are already under stress, and we should avoid creating further anxiety among them,' he said.

CBSE's Defence of the Coempt Edutech Contract

On Wednesday, the CBSE had formally rejected Gandhi's allegations, calling his claims 'erroneous, misleading and not based on facts.' The board stated that the contract was awarded to Coempt Edutech only after following due procedure under the General Financial Rules (GFR) — mandatory and legally binding procurement guidelines set by the government.

According to the CBSE, a Request for Proposal (RFP) for digital evaluation of answer books was floated on the Central Public Procurement portal on 28 August 2025, and the contract was subsequently awarded to the qualified bidder. The board's response was issued in reply to a post by Gandhi on X.

What Happens Next

With IIT teams actively working on resolving systemic issues and the payment gateway now integrated with four banks, the government appears to be in damage-control mode. The accountability framework Pradhan has promised — including action against any deliberate lapses — will be closely watched as students and parents await resolution of their pending queries on the OSM platform.