The Supreme Court (SC) of India on Wednesday expressed concern over the growing frustration of students regarding the Central Board of Secondary Education’s (CBSE) digital evaluation process and sought the assistance of Solicitor General Tueshar Tushar Mehta while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking reforms in the Board’s On-screen Marking (OSM) system.

The top court’s observations came during the hearing of a plea urging the Union Government and the CBSE to frame comprehensive regulations governing the conduct and evaluation of Board exams through the digital marking system.

Apex Court voices concern over evaluation process

A bench of the SC, headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, noted that the concerns raised in the petition reflected the anxiety and frustration which the students are facing. It remarked, “Look at the amount of frustration of young children,” while seeking Mehta’s assistance in examining the matter.

The judges further noted that the digital evaluation process appeared to be facing ‘systemic creeping problems’ that required closer scrutiny.

Addressing Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, Justice Bagchi clarified that the court was not treating the matter as an adversarial dispute but was seeking constructive assistance from the Centre. Justice Bagchi said, “We are seeking your assistance, not in an adversarial way. There are some problems,” while issuing instructions to Tushar Mehtra to place a status report before the Court.

Union Govt says systemic issues being reviewed

Responding to the SC bench, Solicitor Mehta said that while most of the individual discrepancies in students’ marksheets highlighted in the petition had been resolved already, the government was treating the broader concerns surrounding the evaluation system with due seriousness.

He told the Bench that a one-member commission headed by S. Radha Chauhan had been constituted to examine the existing evaluation mechanism and recommend necessary reforms in the system.

He said before the Bench, “We are not taking this adversely,” adding that the committee was already examining the grievances raised by stakeholders. Taking note of the government’s submissions, the SC directed Mehta to apprise it of the measures being implemented by the CBSE to address the concerns. The matter will next be heard in the upcoming week.