The Delhi High Court has directed the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to respond to a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI). The PIL raises concerns about significant irregularities and technical failures in the On-Screen Marking (OSM) system, which allegedly affected students’ results in the Class 12 board examinations.
CBSE’s Opposition and Court Proceedings
Despite CBSE’s opposition, a Division Bench comprising Justices Neena Bansal Krishna and Madhu Jain issued a notice to the board. CBSE’s counsel argued that the PIL is politically motivated, emphasizing that the board has already taken steps to address students’ concerns by extending the verification and re-evaluation deadlines multiple times. Advocate MA Niyazi, representing CBSE, emphasized, “It’s a PIL, there is no urgency,” and questioned the maintainability of the petition due to its political ties, noting, “It [petitioner NSUI] is a student wing of a political party (Congress party). We don’t want education to be politicized like this.”
Arguments from NSUI
The NSUI’s counsel countered by referencing a similar scenario where a plea by Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), affiliated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), was accepted. The High Court has scheduled the next hearing for June 12.
Demands of the Petition
The petition, filed by NSUI President Vinod Jhakhar, seeks the Court’s intervention to provide compensatory marks to students whose answer scripts were either missing, blurred, or inaccurately evaluated. It calls for an independent investigation into the alleged widespread irregularities, technological issues, and grievances related to the OSM system. Additionally, it requests manual rechecking and physical verification of answer sheets for students disputing the evaluation accuracy.
Impact on Students
The petition underscores the significance of Class 12 marks in securing university admissions, scholarships, and professional courses. Any errors in evaluation could severely impact students’ academic progression. The plea highlights reports from students, parents, and teachers nationwide of problems such as blurred scanned answer sheets, missing pages, incomplete uploads, mismatches, and unexpectedly low marks following result announcements.
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Systemic Flaws Alleged
NSUI contends that these complaints suggest systemic issues within the OSM system rather than isolated incidents. It further claims that CBSE’s public statements have recognized technical glitches in the portal used to access scanned answer books. The petition notes that approximately 1,27,146 applications related to 3,87,399 scanned answer sheets were filed shortly after the results were declared, pointing to widespread dissatisfaction. The legal representation for the petitioners is provided by advocates Rishav Ranjan and Ajay Chhikara.
