Supreme Court Denies Request to Reopen CBSE Class 12 Re-evaluation Portal
New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India has firmly declined a plea to mandate the reopening of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) portal for the verification and re-evaluation of Class 12 answer sheets. The decision effectively shuts the door on students who failed to utilize the initial application window.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana underscored the importance of adhering to set timelines, noting that the board had provided a sufficient opportunity for all candidates to address their grievances. Addressing the petitioner’s request for an additional week, Chief Justice Kant remarked, “Why should we direct them to open this window again for you? If you don’t use the bus, you miss the bus. The window was open for everyone for a specified period.”
The Legal Context
The petition challenged the integrity of the CBSE’s On-Screen Marking (OSM) system, through which physical answer scripts are scanned and evaluated digitally. The petitioners argued that technical glitches and website crashes prevented many students from applying for verification within the original timeframe.
Representing the CBSE, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the court that the board had already processed applications from 1.68 lakh students who successfully navigated the portal during the notified window. He further highlighted that a similar legal challenge had previously been dismissed by the Delhi High Court, reinforcing the CBSE’s stance on procedural finality.
Controversy Surrounding the OSM System
The refusal comes against the backdrop of growing scrutiny regarding the implementation of the OSM system. Transitioning from traditional physical marking to digital evaluation has faced backlash from students and parents alike. Allegations include poor-quality or illegible scanning, missing pages, and instances where entire answers were left unevaluated due to technical failures.
The concerns regarding the system’s reliability grew so significant that in June, the central government transferred the CBSE chairman, Rahul Singh, and the board’s secretary, Himanshu Gupta. Furthermore, the government initiated a formal probe into the procurement and rollout of the digital services platform, reflecting serious official concerns about the board’s management of the examination process.
Finality for Students
Despite these underlying controversies and the ongoing investigations into the procurement of the OSM system, the Supreme Court has maintained that it will not grant a general extension. For the students affected, this ruling confirms that the Supreme Court will not intervene to create a retrospective opportunity for those who missed the designated deadline for re-evaluation.
(With inputs from PTI)
