The Ministry of Education has reportedly initiated an internal review of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) over alleged irregularities linked to its digital evaluation ecosystem, with accountability likely to be determined at multiple levels within the board.
According to sources, explanations provided by CBSE regarding the tender process have not been found satisfactory, prompting the ministry to seek detailed reports on the awarding of a contract to Hyderabad-based Coempt Edu Tech as part of the procurement process for the board’s On Screen Marking (OSM) system.
Officials are also examining security vulnerabilities that were reportedly identified in the re-evaluation portal. Sources indicated that the ministry believes the issue extends beyond isolated technical glitches and may involve broader systemic lapses.
The controversy gained attention after allegations emerged that eligibility requirements and technical criteria were modified during multiple stages of the bidding process before Coempt Edu Tech was selected. The issue further intensified when students reported problems including blurred answer sheets, missing pages, mismatched scanned copies, and technical disruptions during the re-evaluation process.
Questions have also been raised by analysts and opposition leaders over whether procurement conditions were altered in a way that may have benefited a particular bidder. CBSE has denied any wrongdoing and stated that the contract was awarded in accordance with General Financial Rules and established procurement procedures.
The matter deepened further after ethical hackers and cybersecurity researchers reportedly identified vulnerabilities within systems connected to CBSE’s digital evaluation infrastructure.
Ministry officials noted that the concerns are more significant because CBSE currently lacks a comprehensive digital repository architecture for answer sheets and examination records. To address the issue, the Ministry of Education has engaged experts from IITs to assess technological weaknesses, audit the re-evaluation portal architecture, and strengthen cybersecurity safeguards.
The review is expected to focus on procurement processes, digital infrastructure security, and governance mechanisms to ensure greater transparency and reliability in the examination evaluation ecosystem.
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