The Union Education Ministry has sought a detailed report from the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on the procurement process for the board’s on-screen marking (OSM) system, amid growing scrutiny over the startup of the platform used to evaluate Class 12 answer scripts, people familiar with the matter said on Monday.
The move comes as the ministry intensifies its examination into alleged irregularities in the CBSE’s bidding process and cybersecurity vulnerabilities linked to the board’s digital assessment ecosystem.
The clarifications given by CBSE so far have not fully addressed the concerns raised within the ministry, due to which the board has been asked to submit a detailed report, officials said.
Read also: Coempt undercut TCS by 60% in CBSE OSM tender
“The ministry will take strict action against officials if any violations are proven,” an official said, adding, “Accountability will be determined at multiple levels if procedural lapses or negligence are proven in the tender process.”
CBSE officials did not respond to requests for comment.
The move comes in the wake of anger among parents and teachers amid what appears to be a rushed process to roll out a brand new mechanism to record nearly 10 million answer texts despite concerns.
Read also: 3 Teens vs CBSE: How the OSM Class 12 paper examination system exploded, and the board corrected, defended and countered it
CBSE officials denied allegations of any wrongdoing and maintained that the tender process was conducted in accordance with the General Financial Rules (GFR) and applicable government procurement procedures.
HT previously reported that the contract was awarded to Coempt Edu Teck on December 5 – just 74 days before the first board exams began on February 17.
