Dharmendra Pradhan Accepts Responsibility for CBSE OSM Discrepancies, Promises Action Against Officials

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday defended the CBSE amid the growing controversy surrounding alleged discrepancies in the board’s On-Screen Marking (OSM) system used for evaluating Class 12 answer sheets, while also taking a swipe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his allegations of “tampering” in the process.

Speaking to reporters, Pradhan said, "I take responsibility. It will be fixed, a solution will be found. We are all working on that task."

"Yesterday CBSE gave its response regarding this matter. It is in accordance with the procurement policy of the Government of India. I want to assure everyone that if any irregularities are found, no one will be spared," he added.

Addressing media, Pradhan said the government’s immediate priority was to ensure that students do not face mental stress due to the controversy. He added that corrective measures were already being undertaken and assured that action would be taken if any deliberate wrongdoing or negligence was found during the review process.

The remarks came after Rahul Gandhi accused the CBSE of failing to adequately address concerns raised by students, parents and evaluators regarding irregularities in the new digital evaluation system. Gandhi had alleged “massive tampering” in the OSM process and questioned the decision to award the evaluation contract to Coempt Edutech, linking the firm to an earlier Telangana examination controversy.

Rejecting the allegations, the CBSE termed Gandhi’s claims “erroneous” and “misleading,” maintaining that the contract had been awarded following due procedure and government norms. The board defended the integrity of the evaluation process and said necessary safeguards were in place.

Pradhan also criticised Gandhi politically during his response, saying repeated electoral defeats had left the Congress leader “frustrated.” According to the minister, Gandhi had consistently opposed initiatives linked to Digital India and technological advancement.

The controversy around the OSM system intensified after students and teachers flagged issues related to digital evaluation, including alleged mismatches in answer scripts and inconsistencies in marking. The matter gained traction online, triggering wider concerns over transparency and accountability in the board examination process.

The Education Ministry and CBSE are currently reviewing the complaints and assessing the evaluation process amid mounting pressure from students and opposition parties.