The Supreme Court Wednesday raised serious concerns over the instability in the Central Board of Secondary Education’s (CBSE) image processing system (OSM) for analyzing the responses of Table 12. The court observed that the digital assessment system seems to be causing problems to the students and sought a detailed response from the Center on the measures being taken to address the problem. Hearing the Public Interest Litigation (PIL), a bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said there seems to be growing concern over the implementation of the digital surveillance system. The bench also consisted of Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana.
The Supreme Court has seen the frustration of the students
During the meeting, Chief Justice Surya Kant said that students are facing a lot of frustration due to the difficulties associated with digital marking. “Look at the level of frustration among young children,” the Chief Justice observed while referring to the concerns raised in the letter. The bench also said that there appears to be a “creeping problem” in the assessment system that requires more scrutiny. Justice Joymalya Bagchi also explained that the court is not approaching the issue with a negative attitude but wants the help of the Center to understand the major issues.
Center was asked to provide status report
The bench asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to assist the court and directed the Center to submit a report detailing the steps taken to address the alleged irregularities in the OSM. The matter has been listed for next week’s hearing.
The PIL demands major changes in the OSM system of CBSE
The PIL was filed by Rakesh Binjola through advocate Laxmikant Matadan Shukla. It calls for the constitution of a high-powered committee to monitor and reform the CBSE board’s image format. The petition also urges the Center and CBSE to frame rules for the conduct of board exams that are evaluated through digital content.
What is On-Screen Marking System (OSM)?
CBSE’s On-Screen Marking (OSM) system is a computer-based marking system where teachers check student’s handwritten answers on computers instead of manually checking original notes. The system was introduced to improve operational efficiency, reduce delays, and establish an audit trail. However, the PIL says that some inconsistencies in the digital assessment system can have a significant impact on students’ final results.
Help wanted for affected students
Apart from seeking changes, the petition has also sought temporary relief for students who may have suffered due to the alleged irregularities in the examination. Some of the most important are:
- Relaxation in minimum qualifying marks for affected Class 12 students.
- Protection for candidates who have already received provisional admission or entrance examination but may lose it due to board conflicts.
- Exemption from the minimum requirement of Class 12 percent, including the 75 percent acceptance rate provided by other institutions of higher education and entry criteria.
The petition states that students should not be bothered with education if the inconsistency of the evaluation system is implemented.
The Center said the Commission is already examining the matter
Reaching out to the Centre, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the Supreme Court that most of the complaints related to the documents shown in the petition have already been resolved. However, he assured the bench that the government was taking serious action on the OSM programme. Mehta told the court that a one-member committee headed by S. Radha Chauhan had already been set up to review the state of screen printing and recommend necessary reforms. He also said that the organization is reviewing the complaints presented in the letter and said that they will prepare a plan to promote the review.
The story will be heard next week
After hearing the submissions, the Supreme Court directed the Solicitor General to record the steps taken by the CBSE and the Union government to address the concerns regarding the digital examination system. The matter will come up next week when the court is expected to review the government’s response and progress in investigating the CBSE’s allegation of wrongdoing in screen writing.