The Supreme Court has expressed concern over the “frustration” faced by students under the Central Board of Secondary Education’s (CBSE) on-screen marking (OSM) system and sought the assistance of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) on the issue.

The OSM system allows teachers to evaluate scanned copies of answer scripts digitally instead of marking physical papers.

A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, observed that there appeared to be systemic issues in the digital evaluation process.

The court sought a status report from the solicitor general, with Justice Bagchi stating that the court was seeking the Centre’s assistance to address the concerns rather than adopting an adversarial approach.

Mehta informed the court that while individual discrepancies in marksheets cited in the petition had largely been resolved, the government was examining broader issues related to the evaluation system.

He said a one-member commission headed by S Radha Chauhan had been constituted to review the OSM system and recommend necessary reforms.

The court directed the solicitor general to inform it of the steps being taken by the CBSE and scheduled the matter for further hearing next week.

The PIL, filed by Rakesh Binjola through advocate Laxmikant Matadan Shukla, seeks directions to the Centre and the CBSE to frame regulations governing the OSM evaluation system and to constitute a high-powered committee to oversee its implementation.

The petition also seeks relaxation in minimum qualifying marks for students who have secured provisional admissions or cleared entrance examinations, along with exemption from the minimum Class 12 marks requirement prescribed for admission to certain courses.

Inputs from PTI

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