New Delhi, May 28, 2026 – In a significant admission amid growing controversy over the Central Board of Secondary Education's (CBSE) newly introduced On-Screen Marking (OSM) system, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan personally took responsibility for discrepancies reported during the Class 12 board examination evaluation process, stating unequivocally, "Certain discrepancies have come to our notice, and I take responsibility for them. These issues will be rectified, and appropriate solutions will be worked out".

Speaking to media representatives Thursday, Pradhan provided a categorical assurance to thousands of aggrieved Class 12 students across the country that "We will not leave a single student's unanswered query or concern unresolved". The minister's statement comes after a massive backlash from students who alleged severe irregularities in the digital evaluation system, including answer sheet mismatches, missing pages, blurred scans, and portal glitches during the re-evaluation process.

"The government acknowledges some discrepancies, accepts responsibility, and promises corrective measures. Officials will ensure that no student query is left unresolved and accountability will be ensured at all levels," Pradhan added, emphasizing the government's commitment to resolving the crisis.

Addressing the core of the controversy, Pradhan confirmed that the re-evaluation process for Class 12 examinations has officially begun following complaints raised by students regarding discrepancies in marks and evaluation. He further assured that all answer sheets have been securely preserved, enabling thorough review and verification.

The minister revealed that top technical agencies, including IIT Kanpur and IIT Madras, have been brought in to oversee the OSM technology and address technical glitches affecting the evaluation portal. This technical oversight comes after students reported multiple issues including payment errors, portal crashes, and inability to access scanned answer sheets during the re-evaluation application process.

The controversy erupted after several CBSE Class 12 students raised alarming concerns about the OSM system, with complaints ranging from receiving wrong answer sheets to discovering missing pages and handwriting mismatches in the scanned copies. The most viral allegation came from Vedant Shrivastava, a Class 12 student who claimed that the Physics answer sheet he received through the re-evaluation process did not belong to him at all.

"I am shattered because the Physics answer sheet uploaded by CBSE is not mine. I know this is not my handwriting and it did not have the questions I attempted," Vedant wrote on social media, sharing images comparing his Physics sheet with his English and Computer Science answer sheets, which matched each other but were completely different from the Physics copy.

Following Vedant's complaint, numerous other students reported similar issues on social media, with allegations including Chemistry answer sheets having "TWO ENTIRE PAGES replaced with someone else's" and half of multiple-choice questions missing from uploaded copies. Approximately 13,000 answer sheets have been flagged for potential errors since the Class 12 results were declared on May 13, 2026.

Pradhan defended the On-Screen Marking system as a "progressive instrument" aimed at ensuring greater transparency and benefiting students, noting that the OSM system enables students to transparently access details of their marks and view scanned copies of their answer sheets directly, helping them verify whether any answer or section was overlooked during evaluation.

"The OSM system is backed by a secure and robust IT platform, and no compromises and vulnerabilities were reported in the actual evaluation process," CBSE stated in a clarification, refuting claims that the evaluation portal was compromised.

However, thousands of students continue demanding physical checking of answer sheets, arguing that the digital system has failed to ensure fairness. They point to the fact that 17 lakh students appeared for the Class 12 examination, making the scale of errors potentially catastrophic.

The examination controversy has also sparked political debate, with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi questioning the board over alleged irregularities and contracts in the OSM implementation. Pradhan responded sharply to these criticisms, alleging that Congress leader appeared "frustrated due to continuous electoral defeats" and did not stand with India's scientific progress.

"As far as this issue is concerned, I myself take responsibility on behalf of the government for any inconvenience, and I request everyone that this is not the time for politics. Politics can be done later," Pradhan said, requesting that the matter not be politicized while students' concerns are being addressed.

Reiterating the government's commitment to ensuring students do not face additional stress due to the controversy, Pradhan emphasized that the government was actively working to resolve all issues linked to the evaluation process transparently. The minister also clarified that the CBSE's procurement process for the OSM system was conducted in accordance with Government of India's procurement policy, and promised that if any irregularities are found, "no one will be spared".

The CBSE board had earlier extended the deadline to obtain scanned answer sheets till May 24, 2026, allowing students adequate time to apply for re-evaluation and review their answer copies. With the re-evaluation process now underway and technical experts brought in to oversee the system, the government appears determined to address the concerns of millions of students affected by the OSM controversy.