The Supreme Court has scheduled a hearing for August 21 on a plea seeking directions to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and the Centre to frame regulations for the On-Screen Marking (OSM) system used in board examinations. The matter was mentioned before a bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, on Friday, August 14.
The plea, filed by Rakesh Binjola through advocate Laxmikant Matadan Shukla, raises concerns that some students who passed CBSE exams and appeared for entrance tests for other courses have not secured the minimum marks required for admission due to their CBSE scores. In some cases, courses have already commenced, adding urgency to the matter.
During the hearing, the bench instructed the counsel representing CBSE to explore ways to protect the interests of affected students. The court also noted that Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who was earlier asked to assist in the case, was unavailable on Friday, leading to the matter being posted for August 21.
The OSM system is a digital evaluation method where teachers assess scanned copies of answer sheets on computers, rather than checking physical paper scripts. This process has been a point of contention, with earlier hearings on July 15 highlighting students' frustration with the system.
On that occasion, the Solicitor General informed the court that while individual marksheet discrepancies mentioned in the plea had largely been resolved, the government was taking systemic issues seriously. He also mentioned that a one-member commission, led by S Radha Chauhan, had been constituted to review the evaluation system and recommend necessary changes.
The bench had previously asked the Solicitor General to provide details of remedial steps taken by CBSE so far. The current petition seeks a high-powered committee to supervise and implement reforms in the OSM evaluation process.
Additionally, the petitioner has requested relaxation in minimum qualifying marks for students who have already secured provisional admissions or cleared entrance examinations. The plea also asks for exemption from the 75% or other minimum Class 12 marks criteria required for admission to various courses.
The Supreme Court's upcoming hearing on August 21 will be crucial for students affected by CBSE's digital marking system, as it may lead to new regulations or interim relief for those facing admission hurdles.
