India
The political battle over the Central Board of Secondary Education’s new digital evaluation system escalated sharply on Wednesday after Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi intensified his attack on the CBSE and the Union government. His remarks came shortly after the board rejected allegations surrounding the award of a major contract to Hyderabad-based Coempt Edu Teck for the On-Screen Marking (OSM) process used in the 2026 board examinations.
Rahul Gandhi accused the CBSE and the Education Ministry of avoiding accountability and failing to answer what he described as “four simple questions” regarding the controversial contract. In a post on X, Gandhi stated that a mere denial from the board was insufficient considering the seriousness of the issue and its impact on lakhs of students.
“A denial is not an answer. Why are the Education Minister and CBSE unable to answer the four simple questions I have asked? The future of 18.5 lakh students has been put in jeopardy. They deserve the truth,” Gandhi wrote.
The controversy revolves around CBSE’s implementation of the new On-Screen Marking system for evaluating Class 12 board examination answer sheets. The digital evaluation method has come under criticism from teachers, evaluators, and parents, many of whom alleged technical glitches, poor-quality scanned answer sheets, incorrect recording of marks, and confusion in the evaluation workflow. Some parents also claimed that answer scripts were mixed up during the process.
Responding to Gandhi’s allegations, the CBSE issued a detailed clarification dismissing all claims related to the awarding of the contract to Coempt Edu Teck. The board asserted that the allegations were “erroneous, misleading and not based on facts.”
According to the CBSE, the contract was awarded through a transparent and rule-based process in compliance with General Financial Rules. The board explained that the Request for Proposal (RFP) for the Digital Evaluation of Answer Books for Board Exams 2026 was floated on the Central Public Procurement Portal on August 28, 2025, and the contract was ultimately granted to the qualified bidder after due process.
The board maintained that all procurement norms and protocols were followed “scrupulously” while selecting the agency.
Before the CBSE’s response, Rahul Gandhi had already demanded a judicial probe and a special investigation into what he termed a “massive tampering” of CBSE board examination results. In a video statement shared online, Gandhi questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence on the controversy and alleged that procedural rules may have been bypassed while awarding the contract.
He further hinted at alleged links between the company’s management and the government, escalating the political nature of the dispute.
Rahul Gandhi publicly raised four questions regarding the contract. He asked why the contract was awarded to Coempt Edu Teck and under whose directions it was approved. He also questioned whether any rules or procedures were ignored during the selection process. Referring to alleged past controversies associated with the company under the name Globarena, Gandhi questioned whether proper background checks had been conducted by the CBSE. Lastly, he sought clarity on what he described as the company’s “connection” with the Modi government.
The row has now become a major political issue, with opposition parties demanding transparency in the handling of examination systems that affect millions of students across the country. As criticism over the OSM system continues to grow, pressure is mounting on the CBSE and the Education Ministry to provide more detailed explanations regarding the digital evaluation mechanism and the awarding of the contract.
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