After the fiasco of a paper leak in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) examination conducted by the National Testing Agency, the large-scale bungling of the evaluation of answer sheets of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Class 12 exam has raised serious questions about the ability of educational authorities to conduct examinations. The On-Screen Marking (OSM) system, which was introduced with fanfare as a high-tech system, more efficient and transparent than the earlier one, turned out to be a flop, and has created anxiety and uncertainty for about 1.8 million students. The pass percentage was the lowest in recent years, and when students sought re-evaluation of their papers, it was found that the evaluation was done badly. Poor scanning left the answer scripts blurred. Some were mixed up and left unmarked. Some answer sheets were missing, and correct answers were not marked.

The CBSE first tried to cover up the bungling. The student who first made the problem public faced online hostility and abuse. The Class 12 examination is very important, and the results define the careers of many students. Lakhs of students are now unsure of their results and marks. According to reports, four lakh students applied for the revaluation of their papers. It has now come to be known that the agency which was entrusted with implementing the system did not have the right credentials, and has been involved in controversies earlier. Adequate preparations were not made, and teachers were not trained before rolling out the system. The CBSE ignored warnings from teachers and others against its hasty deployment. It is now trying to defend the system. Its offices have sent unsigned messages to school principals telling them to make social media posts defending the system.

IIT Madras has been asked to correct the technical problems in the OSM. There are demands for an independent investigation, and there is a case for it. On Saturday, another national examination, the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) UG 2026, faced disruption at many centres because of a technical glitch. Mismanagement of so many consequential exams has affected the students’ faith in the examination system. Hearing a petition on the NEET paper leakage, the Supreme Court said that responsibility for it must be fixed. The government told the court that the prime minister was himself monitoring the matter. Does that mean there was a lack of effective monitoring till now? It is unfortunate that the person at the top of the examination system, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, continues to be at its helm, even though he has said that he accepted responsibility for the failures. Democracy demands accountability in deeds, not in words. (Source: DH)