The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has been embroiled in a controversy surrounding its On-Screen Marking (OSM) system, with a 17-year-old whistleblower alleging irregularities in the tender process.
The teen, Sarthak Sidhant, appeared before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth, and Sports, and presented his findings on the CBSE's procurement process.
Sidhant claimed that the Board systematically 'rewrote rules' across three tender rounds to favor Coempt EduTeck, which was previously known as Globarena. He highlighted several discrepancies, including the removal of clauses related to 'poor performance' and 'blacklisting.'
The CBSE has maintained that the tender process adhered to General Financial Rules (GFR) and government procurement guidelines. However, the Board's leadership has been shaken up, with Chairman Rahul Singh and Secretary Himanshu Gupta being transferred out.
Prashant Lokhande has been appointed as the new CBSE Chairman. The Union education ministry has ordered an intensive inquiry into the contract awarded to Coempt EduTeck and demanded a detailed report from the Board.
The CBSE's portal for Class 12 students seeking verification of answer sheets and re-evaluation of marks was launched on Tuesday, but it was marred by technical glitches and cyberattack claims. The portal has since been updated to address some of the issues, and students can now report issues in their scanned answer sheets or request re-evaluation of specific questions.
