Delhi High Court’s Decision on CBSE Class 12 Verification
The Delhi High Court recently dismissed a plea to extend the deadline for the re-evaluation and verification portal for CBSE Class 12 examinations. This decision comes amidst growing concerns regarding alleged discrepancies in the Central Board of Secondary Education’s (CBSE) On-Screen Marking (OSM) system.
A vacation bench comprising Justices Neena Bansal Krishna and Madhu Jain adjudicated the matter, emphasizing that extending the portal’s deadline could significantly delay exam results. The bench noted that such a delay could result in broader consequences, impacting the entire evaluation process. The court suggested that individual students with grievances should seek legal recourse independently.
Public Interest Litigation by NSUI
The National Students Union of India (NSUI) had filed a public interest litigation (PIL) challenging the existing OSM system. The court has scheduled this PIL for a hearing before the roster bench after the vacation period. During the proceedings, the bench remarked, “For you, it’s one week, but the whole process gets delayed by a month. It’s not the question of one step; it’s the question of three other steps. If you enter now, it [results] will be delayed by a month. Let individuals approach. Let individuals come here and say.”
Arguments Presented in Court
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing CBSE, argued that granting an extension for the verification process would hinder the timelines for all students, affecting their higher education prospects. “Students who are aggrieved have come to us. Over 1.67 lakh students have applied for evaluation. Now their [petitioner’s] request is to extend the deadline. At the behest of whom? Any delay would delay all 7.8 lakh students [who appeared for the Class XII CBSE exams] because based on these marks, you get admission in all undergraduate studies, where the deadline is fixed,” Mehta stated.
Advocate Muhammad Ali Khan, representing NSUI, contended that numerous students affected by OSM irregularities were unable to approach the High Court due to resource constraints. He noted that glitches had occurred when the portal was initially opened and requested a brief extension. “Many of them [students] are minors, they don’t have the resources to come to Court. They have extended it [the re-evaluation window] twice. I am asking it to be extended for four more days,” Khan argued. Despite these submissions, the bench declined to issue any orders extending the deadline.
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Petitioner’s Concerns
The petition, filed by NSUI President Vinod Jhakhar, sought directions for awarding compensatory marks to students affected by issues such as missing, blurred, or inaccurately evaluated answer scripts. It also called for an independent inquiry into the “large-scale irregularities, deficiencies, technical issues and grievance-related failures concerning the OSM system.” The petition further requested manual rechecking and physical verification of answer sheets in disputed cases and sought to keep the verification portal open for an additional month.
The plea underscored the importance of Class 12 marks in university admissions, scholarships, and professional courses, arguing that evaluation errors could significantly impact students’ academic futures. The petition highlighted widespread complaints of blurred scanned answer sheets, missing pages, incomplete uploads, and unexpectedly low marks, suggesting systemic issues within the OSM system. According to the petitioner, CBSE had acknowledged technical glitches on the portal in its public communications.
