CBSE Chairman, Secretary shunted out amid national uproar over OSM fiasco

In a major administrative shake-up at the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), the Narendra Modi government has transferred CBSE Chairman Rahul Singh and Secretary Himanshu Gupta and ordered an inquiry into the procurement of On-Screen Marking (OSM) services, signalling a tough stance on alleged irregularities in examination-related contracts.

The move comes after weeks of scrutiny over CBSE's evaluation and post-result processes, which sparked concerns among students, parents and teachers across the country.

Before their transfer, CBSE Chairman Rahul Singh, IAS, oversaw the Board's overall functioning, including examinations, academics, affiliations, policy implementation and major reforms, while also coordinating with the Ministry of Education.

Secretary Himanshu Gupta, IAS, headed key administrative functions such as administration, finance and affiliations, and played a central role in CBSE's day-to-day operations and policy implementation across its nationwide school and examination network.

Read: Who is Rahul Singh, CBSE Chairman shunted out by Centre over OSM controversy?

Following the development, AAP's Arvind Kejriwal enquired on X, whether this transfer was punishment enough.

Senior Congress leader, Jairam Ramesh, also demanded the "dismissal" of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, in his post on X.

GOVERNMENT ORDERS INQUIRY

The Centre has constituted a one-member committee to inquire into matters related to the procurement of services for the On-Screen Marking (OSM) system by CBSE. The panel will be chaired by S Radha Chauhan, Chairperson of the Capacity Building Commission.

The committee has been empowered to seek assistance from officers of other departments as required, while secretarial support will be provided by the Capacity Building Commission. It has been tasked with submitting its report within one month to the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT).

The transfer of the CBSE Chairman and Secretary is being seen as one of the biggest administrative actions taken since the controversy erupted.

The developments signal that the government is treating the matter seriously as questions continue to be raised over transparency, technology and accountability in one of India's largest school examination systems.

WHY CBSE HAS BEEN UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT

The controversy began after students reported issues while accessing scanned answer books following the declaration of CBSE Class 10 and 12 results. Several candidates claimed they encountered blurred pages, missing sections and difficulties using the Board's online services.

The situation escalated when questions were raised about the OSM platform and the tendering process through which the digital evaluation contract was awarded. Discussions around the vendor selection process, cybersecurity concerns and delays in re-evaluation services further intensified public attention.

CBSE later extended deadlines, issued multiple clarifications and said every genuine concern raised by students would be reviewed through the prescribed mechanism.