The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday sought the Union Government’s response on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking fresh regulations for exams conducted under the Central Board of Secondary Education’s (CBSE) On-screen Marking (OSM) evaluation system. 

A Bench headed by the Chief Justice of India (CJI), Surya Kant and involving Justice V Mohana and Justice Joymalya Bagchi heard the case, which has raised concerns over the evaluation process and the grievances of students affected by their CBSE results. 

1.68L students applied for re-evaluation

During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing on behalf of the Centre, told the court that close to 1.68 lakh students had approached the board through a grievance window and had their answer sheets re-evaluated. 

Mehta added that a one-member committee had been formed to examine the issue and that the grievance window was kept open for a week for students who had raised concerns over their evaluation. 

The Solicitor General further submitted that he had prepared a note on the matter, but sought time until Monday to place the Union Government’s response before the court by means of an affidavit. 

Students seek reopening of grievance portal

However, the petitioner’s counsel contended that several students continued to face troubles with their CBSE results. The counsel pointed out that some candidates had qualified entrance examinations but subsequently failed to secure the minimum marks required in their CBSE exams. 

On this basis, the petitioner pleaded to reopen the grievance window, arguing that a larger number of students could still be affected by issues in the board’s evaluation process. The Bench also referred to the possibility of an oversight in the evaluation system during the hearing. 

Union Govt to submit responses by Monday

Mehta said he would seek instructions from the government and place its response, as well as relevant records before the top court on Monday. 

He further pointed out that CBSE marks are linked to admissions and other competitive examinations, which cannot simply be deferred. He cited the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main as an example. 

The hearing comes against the backdrop of growing concerns over the impact of CBSE evaluation on students’ academic prospects. The petition seeks directions for framing fresh regulations governing the OSM system, with the petitioner contending that safeguards are necessary to address grievances pertaining to evaluation effectively.