New Delhi, May 31, 2026: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has said that vulnerabilities identified in the OnMark portal used for its digital evaluation system have been contained, amid an ongoing controversy surrounding the implementation of On-Screen Marking (OSM) for the 2026 Class 12 board examinations.
In a post on X, CBSE said it had been closely monitoring security weaknesses flagged in the public domain and had deployed cybersecurity experts from various government agencies and Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) to strengthen the system.
The board stated that the identified vulnerabilities have been addressed and that efforts are underway to rule out any additional exploitable weaknesses.
"We are grateful to all alert citizens and ethical hackers pointing out such weaknesses, and have gotten in touch with some of them directly," the board added in the X post.
What Is OSM Controversy?
The controversy stems from CBSE's introduction of the On-Screen Marking (OSM) system for the 2026 board examinations. The digital platform replaced traditional physical evaluation by allowing examiners to assess scanned answer sheets online.
The reform was introduced to improve efficiency, speed, and transparency in the evaluation process.
However, after the declaration of results, concerns emerged from students regarding discrepancies in marks, scanning quality of answer sheets, and whether the uploaded scripts accurately matched their handwriting.
The issue gained wider attention as students sought access to their answer sheets and raised questions about the reliability of the digital evaluation process.
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Political Row Over Tender Award
The controversy later expanded beyond evaluation concerns to include questions over the award of the OSM contract to education technology company Coempt EduTech.
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has alleged irregularities in the tender process and demanded an independent judicial or Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the matter.
Rahul Gandhi cited a blog written by 17-year-old researcher Sarthak Siddhant, which claims that CBSE altered certain Request for Proposal (RFP) conditions in a manner that allegedly benefited Coempt EduTech over competing bidders.
Congress leader has questioned whether adequate due diligence was conducted before awarding the contract and has called for greater transparency in the procurement process.
Amid the row, Congress and other opposition parties are demanding the resignation of India's Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Notably, Pradhan has been a target of opposition and criticism since the NEET row, in which widespread allegations have been made of coordinated paper leaks and major administrative mismanagement that compromised the exam's fairness for millions of students appearing for medical education exams.
Government's Response
Sources supporting the government's position have rejected allegations of favoritism, pointing to Coempt EduTech's long-standing presence in the digital evaluation sector.
The company, previously known as Global Radian Technologies, has reportedly provided on-screen marking and digital assessment services to educational institutions and examination bodies across multiple states, including Telangana, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Maharashtra, and West Bengal.
According to these sources, the company's widespread adoption by institutions across different political administrations raises questions about claims that it was uniquely unsuitable for the CBSE project.
Key Takeaways
CBSE says vulnerabilities in the OnMark portal have been contained.
Cybersecurity experts from government agencies and IITs were deployed to secure the system.
The OSM system was introduced for digital evaluation of Class 12 board exams in 2026.
Students raised concerns over answer-sheet scans and evaluation discrepancies.
Rahul Gandhi has demanded an independent probe into the tender awarded to Coempt EduTech.
The government maintains that the company has extensive experience in large-scale digital evaluation projects.
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The controversy now encompasses both technical concerns surrounding digital evaluation and political questions over the procurement process, with demands for further scrutiny continuing from opposition leaders.
Ends.
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