Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday lauded student whistleblower Sarthak Siddhant and his associate Nisarja Adhikari for exposing alleged irregularities in the tender process for CBSE’s On Screen Marking (OSM) system, saying the two young men achieved what even major media houses and investigative agencies could not.
Sharing a video of his recent meeting with Sarthak Sidhant on X, Gandhi praised the 18-year-old student for questioning the system and searching for answers despite his age.
In a Hindi post accompanying the video, Gandhi described Sarthak Siddhant as a young man whose “mindset, courage and principles” rivaled anyone else’s. “Sarthak is 18 years old and yet, in terms of mentality, courage and principles, he is unparalleled,” the Opposition leader wrote in Lok Sabha.
Referring to the investigation conducted by 19-year-old Siddhant and Adhikari into CBSE’s OSM tender process, Gandhi said the teenagers outperformed even the country’s premier investigation agency.
“An 18-year-old from the country has proven that he is faster and sharper than the CBI; this victory for the youth is, in a real sense, a defeat for the government,” he said.
“Modi ji wants youth to continue making reels.”
Gandhi used this incident to criticize Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s approach to youth, arguing that questioning authority is essential for democracy.
“Modi ji wants our youth to keep making reels and frying pakodas, without asking questions or opening their eyes. But these youth have asked questions, and they have also found answers,” Gandhi said.
Describing Siddhant and Adhikari as examples of the potential of India’s youth, he added, “This is the true youth power of India – curious, aware and informed. And remember, the future of the country will not go astray.”
Meeting with Rahul and presentation before the parliamentary committee
The Congress leader met Siddhant and his family last Tuesday. After the meeting, Gandhi shared photos and a message of support for the student.
“Sarthak, stand firm on your principles,” he wrote.
Sidhant has emerged as one of the prominent voices who have questioned the implementation of the OSM system. He also made a presentation before a parliamentary committee on Tuesday regarding alleged irregularities in the tender process linked to the digital evaluation system.
In the video shared on Sunday, Gandhi is seen asking Siddhant how he gathered information regarding the alleged discrepancies and praising him for effectively performing the work of investigative journalists.
OSM Controversy
The controversy centers around CBSE’s decision to replace traditional paper-based assessment with an on-screen digital marking system for Class 12 board exams.
Questions were raised after some students claimed that scanned answer sheets uploaded by the board did not match their handwriting, raising concerns about possible answer sheet mismatches within the system.
The issue has since escalated into a political controversy. The government recently sacked two senior CBSE officials amid the row. However, Congress rejected this action as a cover-up.
Gandhi demanded the dismissal of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and called for an independent judicial investigation into the matter.
