The Delhi High Court has called for responses from the Central Government and the Central Board of Secondary Education regarding a Public Interest Litigation that claims irregularities in the On-Screen Marking system used for Class 12 answer sheet evaluation. A division bench comprising Justice Neena Bansal Krishna and Justice Madhu Jain issued notices in the matter on June 9, 2026, scheduling the next hearing for June 12.
The petition, filed by the National Students’ Union of India, points to several technical failures in the OSM system, including blurred scans, missing pages, incomplete uploads, and alleged evaluation errors that have affected thousands of students. The court noted that these allegations require preliminary examination as they involve students' academic futures and the transparency of the examination process.
During the hearing, CBSE counsel M.A. Niyazi opposed the PIL, arguing that it was politically motivated, as NSUI is affiliated with a political organisation. He submitted that such petitions risk politicising the education system. CBSE also informed the court that it remains in continuous communication with affected students and has extended deadlines for verification and re-evaluation portals multiple times to address grievances.
According to the petition, widespread technical failures in the OSM system have impacted thousands of students. NSUI alleged that several answer sheets were either partially scanned or not uploaded properly, leading to incorrect evaluation and lower marks. CBSE stated that after results were declared, complaints were received from students and parents regarding blurred scanned answer sheets, missing pages, incomplete uploads, mismatched answer scripts, and discrepancies in marks awarded. The Board maintained that a grievance mechanism already exists and corrective steps are being taken where required.
The petition sought compensatory marks for students whose answer sheets were missing, blurred, or wrongly evaluated. It also requested an independent investigation into alleged technical deficiencies and systemic failures in the digital evaluation process. NSUI further urged the court to allow mandatory manual rechecking and physical verification of answer sheets wherever discrepancies are suspected. Additionally, it sought directions to keep the verification and re-evaluation portal open for at least one more month to ensure affected students get sufficient time to raise complaints.
Taking note of the allegations, the High Court directed the Centre and CBSE to file detailed responses. The bench also indicated that technical experts may be involved, if required, to examine the functioning and reliability of the OSM system. The matter has raised wider questions over transparency, data integrity, and safeguards in digital evaluation for high-stakes examinations.
The outcome of the next hearing on June 12 is expected to shape whether further reforms or a deeper inquiry into the OSM-based assessment system will be considered. Students and parents are advised to stay updated on developments through official CBSE channels.
