Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan took responsibility for technical failures in the Central Board of Secondary Education's new digital evaluation system [1, 2].
The failure of the On-Screen Marking (OSM) system is critical because it directly affects the accuracy of student grades and the transparency of the national examination process [1, 3].
Speaking in New Delhi on May 28, 2024, Pradhan addressed reports of server downtime, payment failures, and blurred images of answer sheets [2, 3]. Students had filed numerous complaints regarding these discrepancies, which hindered the verification and re-evaluation of marks [1, 3].
"I take responsibility for the concerns surrounding the CBSE's newly introduced On‑Screen Marking evaluation system," Pradhan said [2].
The minister described the digital system as a progressive instrument designed to improve student access and transparency [1]. Despite the current technical hurdles, he said that the board would implement strict measures against those responsible for the failures [2].
Pradhan said that the government would resolve all outstanding issues regarding marks verification promptly [3]. He said that the system is intended to be student-centric, and all identified discrepancies will be fixed [3].
The OSM system was introduced to modernize the grading process by moving away from physical paper handling, a transition that has now faced significant scrutiny due to these operational lapses [1, 2].
“I take responsibility for the concerns surrounding the CBSE's newly introduced On‑Screen Marking evaluation system.”
The admission of failure by a union minister highlights the volatility of digitizing large-scale educational infrastructure in India. While the move to On-Screen Marking aims to reduce human error and speed up results, the technical glitches suggest a gap between policy implementation and infrastructure readiness, potentially undermining student trust in digital certification.
