Congress Urges CBI Investigation into CBSE's Exam Marking System Scandal

The Congress has called for a CBI inquiry into the handling of CBSE's Class 12 Board exams, accusing the board of gross negligence and favoritism in its implementation of the On-Screen Marking System. The party demands Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation over the scandal.

The Congress party has demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into allegations of mismanagement within the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), particularly concerning the handling of the Class 12 Board examinations. This demand follows claims of incompetence, corruption, and negligence in the introduction of the On-Screen Marking System (OSM).

Party spokesperson Jairam Ramesh raised concerns over the CBSE's hasty rollout of the system, citing investigations by a student and a newspaper. These investigations suggested significant flaws and favoritism towards the vendor COEMPT in the award of the contract. The Congress insists that Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan should resign and has highlighted the need for transparency to address the grievances of students and parents.

Ramesh and other Congress leaders have posed critical questions about the CBSE's actions, including the alteration of request for proposal (RFP) conditions that seemingly favored COEMPT, despite its previous blacklisting in Telangana. This controversy entails technical downgrades in requirements and the questionable treatment of contractor qualifications.

Rahul Gandhi also criticized Prime Minister Modi for his inaction on this matter, calling for an independent judicial probe. He referenced issues such as deteriorated scanning quality and the removal of answer sheet error penalties. Such actions demonstrate a broader mishandling of the exam system, leading to significant public outcry over the quality of exam evaluations.