The Central Government has appointed retired IAS officer S. Radha Chauhan to head a high-level inquiry into the controversy surrounding the Central Board of Secondary Education’s (CBSE) On-Screen Marking (OSM) system after widespread complaints from students following the 2026 Class XII board examination results.
The move comes amid allegations of answer-sheet mismatches, missing pages, blurred scans, incorrect evaluations and possible irregularities in the procurement of the digital evaluation platform.
Alongside the probe, the Centre transferred CBSE Chairperson Rahul Singh and Secretary Himanshu Gupta, signalling the seriousness of the matter.
Chauhan, a former senior bureaucrat known for her role in India’s digital governance initiatives and currently Chairperson of the Capacity Building Commission, has been tasked with examining vendor selection, procurement procedures and governance standards related to the OSM system.
Students, parents, education activists and opposition leaders have welcomed greater scrutiny, while the government has assured corrective action and accountability wherever lapses are found.
From Complaints To Inquiry
The controversy emerged shortly after CBSE declared Class XII results in May 2026, when students across the country began raising concerns about discrepancies in answer sheets uploaded through the board’s digital verification portal.
Several students claimed that the scanned copies available online did not match their handwriting, while others reported missing pages, blurred images and unexplained variations in marks awarded.
As complaints multiplied on social media, student forums and YouTube platforms, questions were raised about the reliability of the OSM system, which had been introduced to make evaluation more efficient and transparent.
Government sources later acknowledged that around 20 answer-sheet mix-ups had been detected and more than 13,000 answer scripts required manual evaluation due to scanning-related issues.
A significant turning point came when 17-year-old student Sarthak Sidhant reportedly presented evidence before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, alleging irregularities not only in evaluation outcomes but also in the tendering and vendor-selection process associated with the system.
Responding to the growing concerns, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan acknowledged that discrepancies had occurred and assured students that corrective measures would be undertaken. He stated that any mistakes identified would be rectified and accountability would be fixed where necessary.
Why Chauhan’s Role Matters
The appointment of S. Radha Chauhan has drawn attention because of her long administrative career and extensive experience in digital governance and institutional reform.
A retired 1988-batch IAS officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre, Chauhan currently heads the Capacity Building Commission, a key institution under the government’s civil services reform framework.
During her career, she held several senior positions in both state and central governments, including serving as Secretary in the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT).
She is widely recognised for contributing to governance modernisation efforts and technology-driven public service delivery initiatives that accompanied India’s broader digital transformation journey, including systems linked to Aadhaar-enabled governance and digital public infrastructure.
The Cabinet Secretariat has directed Chauhan’s one-member committee to submit its findings within a month, with the probe expected to examine procurement practices, vendor selection procedures, administrative approvals and compliance with government norms.
The inquiry also comes amid reports of cybersecurity concerns linked to the digital evaluation ecosystem and questions about oversight mechanisms governing large-scale technology deployments in public institutions.
For millions of students whose board examination results influence higher education admissions, scholarships and future career opportunities, the outcome of the investigation could shape trust in digital assessment systems for years to come.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
The CBSE OSM controversy highlights a challenge that extends far beyond examination results: how public institutions can embrace digital innovation while ensuring transparency, accountability and human-centred safeguards. Technology has immense potential to improve governance and reduce inefficiencies, but when systems affect the futures of millions of young people, even small lapses can have profound consequences.
The government’s decision to order an independent inquiry and appoint an experienced administrator such as S. Radha Chauhan is an important step towards restoring confidence, but rebuilding trust will require openness, timely communication and a willingness to learn from mistakes. Students and parents deserve assurance that technology will strengthen fairness rather than create uncertainty.
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