Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday said he took responsibility for discrepancies in the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) twelfth-grade evaluation process, which utilised the On-Screen Marking system for the first time.
Acknowledging the errors, the minister assured that corrections and revaluations are underway, while appealing to political parties not to politicise the issue to prevent further mental stress on students. The controversy escalated after the Leader of Opposition questioned the tender awarded for the evaluation system, alleging the contracted company had a poor track record in Telangana in 2019.
The opposition has linked this issue to recent examination controversies, intensifying their criticism of the central government. In response, the Education Minister accused the opposition of opposing scientific progress and digital initiatives out of political frustration. Despite the political back-and-forth, the central government maintains that the digital evaluation system ensures transparency, having already scanned forty crore answer sheet pages and evaluated ninety-eight lakh copies. However, specific concerns regarding the company's past record remain unaddressed by the ministry.
