The Ministry of Education has dismissed concerns that the On-Screen Marking (OSM) system affected scores in the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Class 12 examinations, stating that the process is not new and safeguards were in place to ensure accuracy.

School Education Secretary Sanjay Kumar said OSM, introduced by CBSE in 2014 and reintroduced this year, is widely used internationally to support transparent evaluation. He added that the system allows answer scripts to be assessed beyond regional jurisdictions, increasing flexibility.

According to officials, nearly 98 lakh answer sheets were scanned for evaluation, with three levels of security applied. More than 13,000 scripts were assessed manually due to legibility issues, including the use of light-coloured ink. Marks from these evaluations were later entered into the system.

The clarification follows concerns from students and parents linking a decline in pass percentage to the use of OSM. CBSE reported an overall pass rate of over 85 per cent this year, down by more than three percentage points from the previous year.

Kumar said students can access scanned copies of their answer sheets and request verification or re-evaluation at reduced fees. Viewing and verification now cost Rs 100 each, while rechecking specific answers costs Rs 25 per question. Fees will be refunded if marks increase after re-evaluation.

He stated that the process aims to ensure fairness and accuracy, and that no further re-examination mechanism is required beyond the existing review system.

Private school representatives supported the reforms, stating that technological measures such as OSM improve transparency and should be accompanied by structured feedback from stakeholders.

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